10 February 2006 - Arms are flowing into the conflict-ridden Darfur region (Sudan) from neighbouring Chad, Eritrea and Libya, according to a report by UN experts.

The widespread insecurity in Darfur has significantly impacted humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Secretary-General. The fighting in Darfur has left 1.8 million people homeless and living in camps, with some 3 million people requiring humanitarian assistance.

The report also reveals that there is a thriving regional illicit arms market, where a used AK-47 can be bought for as little as $100 in Chad. The Central African Republic and Southern Sudan are also sources of illicit small arms.

However the report claims that a large proportion of the weapons used by the armed groups were originally captured from poorly secured government stockpiles.

The report details 8 armed attacks on villages, camps and convoys between April and November 2005.

The 2005 UN arms embargo covers only the Darfur region, and not the rest of the Sudan. To strengthen the embargo, the UN experts recommend:

• complementing the existing embargo with an inventory of the weapons held by all parties to the conflict
• extending the embargo to cover the whole of the Sudan

The second option could also include appropriate exemptions for the government.