‘Peacekeepers did not trade arms for gold’

UN peacekeepers from Pakistan arranged armed escorts and provided food for illegal gold smugglers in eastern Congo but did not themselves trade weapons for gold, according to a UN report.

Human rights groups had in May accused Pakistani peacekeepers of trafficking arms for gold with a militia they were meant to be disarming while stationed in the eastern mining town of Mongbwalu in late 2005.

“Investigators established that Pakistani peacekeepers deployed to Mongbwalu provided transport, meals and security for the... group during their visits to Mongbwalu in November and December 2005,” the internal UN report said.