In response to then President of Zaire Mobutu refusing to hand over power to a new government the European Community Member States issued in April 1993 Declaration N° 33/93, which imposed an arms embargo on Zaire (since 1997 the Democratic Republic of Congo). The declaration did not specify the terms of the embargo in detail, nor did it explain the term 'arms'.
In October 2002 Council Common Position 2002/829/CFSP was more detailed and prohibited the supply of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment and spare parts for the aforementioned from EU member states into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In July 2003 the UN imposed an arms embargo on the all armed groups operating in the territory of North and South Kivu and of Ituri, and to groups not party to the Global and All-inclusive Agreement, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In September the EU formally implemented the UN embargo with Council Regulation (EC) No 1727/2003, and since then the EU embargo allows arms supplies to the DRC national army and police. Since 2003 the EU has amended its arms embargo related to he DRC in line with amendments in the UN embargoes.