North Korea and several African countries are violating arms sanctions and – to the ire of U.S. officials – have become fast-growing trade partners, according to multiple sources and a UN report. At least 10 African countries are said to be skirting tough UN measures by buying arms or defense training from North Korea. That money, analysts say, was used by North Korea to fund its fledging missile program, which has become a growing international threat. In a report earlier this year, the UN lambasted North Korea for defying its trade sanctions. “More recently, the country has been tagged (by the UN) for allegedly purchasing North Korean small arms, and hiring North Korean Special Forces.”MIT’s Observatory of Economic Complexity reports that West Africa’s Burkina Faso is the biggest importer of North Korean products on the continent.

Source: The North Africa Journal September 20, 2017 20:48 UTC