The United Nations has accused arms dealers in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, including from Israel, of fueling violence in South Sudan.

In a confidential report to the Security Council on Thursday, a UN panel of experts described the arms deals that are not recent and involve Israeli and Bulgarian firms.

The panel said it has found evidence of “well-established networks” of arms suppliers in those countries.

“This evidence illustrates the well-established networks through which weapons procurement is coordinated from suppliers in Eastern Europe and the Middle East and then transferred through middlemen in eastern Africa to South Sudan,” the report said, noting that the arms deals date back to 2014 or earlier.

The panel said soldiers loyal to the former First Vice President Dr Riek Machar recently appeared in DR Congo armed with Israeli-made automatic rifles that were part of a stock sold to Uganda in 2007.

While a Bulgarian firm delivered a shipment of small arms ammunition and 4,000 assault rifles to Uganda in July 2014, which were later transferred to South Sudan.

The UN Council threatens to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan to try to end the deadly fighting that has displaced 2.5 million people from their homes.

However, Russia opposes the move while African countries have expressed reservations.