The United Nations says it has "credible information" that Zimbabwe may have received Chinese weapons by way of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The U.N. Security Council says Boeing aircraft delivered 53 tons of Chinese ammunition, meant for the Zimbabwean army, from the DRC to Zimbabwe this August.

A U.N. statement released Friday says this does not violate an arms embargo on the eastern DRC, but does show that the country could be a transit point for weapons destined for other countries.

The U.N. says it has written to China's government and is awaiting a response.

Earlier this year, South African unions refused to unload a Chinese ship carrying weapons for Zimbabwe, because of concern the weapons would be used against opponents of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

Media reports said the weapons were later unloaded in either Angola or the Republic of Congo and then flown to Zimbabwe.  China denied those reports.

Some information for this report provided by AFP.