Its research, it said, exposes the weakness of such embargoes and the need for an Arms Trade Treaty to stop weapons flooding war zones, a week before a hoped-for green light in the United Nations to start drafting such a treaty.

"UN arms embargoes are like dams against tidal waves; alone they can't stop weapons flooding in," said Jeremy Hobbs, Director of Oxfam International.

Control Arms -- comprising Amnesty International, Oxfam International and the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) -- said the arms were fueling rape, torture and other abuses that have occurred in the DRC. Control Arms said its researchers last month visited compounds in Bunia in the eastern Ituri district to obtain photographic evidence of munitions and weapons recovered from rebel forces since the embargo was imposed in July 2003.

The serial numbers and relevant markings, including head-stamps on ammunition cartridges and markings on rifles, have since been identified by international munitions experts, it said.

Researchers found Chinese and South African assault rifles, a Russian grenade launcher, a Serb pistol, US sniper rifle bullets, and Greek-made bullets for Belgian or other kinds of assault rifles. Control Arms said it was probably the first time US and Greek bullets have been found with the rebels.

It said that the US State Department confirmed that such ammunition would be subject to US licensing regulations and is now investigating how US-made bullets ended up with rebel groups.

Under US law, the DRC has been ineligible to receive weapons since 1993, except for peacekeeping purposes. It is therefore very likely that the ammunition was legally exported to another country in the region and then diverted to the DRC, Control Arms said.

An analysis of US customs data, Control Arms said, reveals that since 2000, the US government has licensed small arms ammunition to Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

In addition to the US and UN arms embargos, the Ituri district and neighbouring Kivu provinces have been subject to an embargo by the European Union imposed in April 1993.

"Only a tough global Arms Trade Treaty could stem the flow of arms to the world's war zones," said Hobbs of Oxfam International.

Kate Noble, spokeswoman for IANSA, said such a treaty would set up better accounting procedures for shipments of ammunition and arms in all the countries they pass through.

Control Arms said however that Russia, China and the United States are among key skeptics of the Arms Trade Treaty.

A resolution to start work on an Arms Trade Treaty was proposed by seven governments last week at the United Nations. It was co-sponsored by 77 other governments, with more expected to follow this week.

The resolution is likely to be put to a vote in the UN General Assembly's First Committee early next week, Control Arms said.

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