Rebels shot down unmanned plane in West Darfur
August 28, 2008 (LONDON) – A rebel movement said their troops shot down a military unmanned plane in western Darfur on Thursday, accusing the army of spying their positions.
Mahgoub Hussein the spokesperson for the Sudan Liberation Movement-Unity Command told the Sudan Tribune today that their forces in the mountainous eastern Jebel Marra area shot the spy drone down with an anti-aircraft gun.
He also said that spy engine appeared to be Chinese, due to Chinese writing on the body of the aircraft.
However on September 1, 2007 Sudan’s defence minister, Lt-Gen Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein, revealed that his country has successfully developed unmanned surveillance planes.
Hussein said at the time that Sudan is now self sufficient in conventional weapons and is also in the process of developing missiles.
A Sudanese army spokesman said they lost an unmanned military plane at east of Jebel Marra and was unable to say whether the aircraft was shot down.
Led by Abdallah Yahia, the SLM-Unity is formed by rebel commanders who fought besides, Minni Minawi who joined the national unity government after signing a peace deal in Abuja, Nigeria on May 2006.
The United Nations says up to 300,000 people have died and more than 2.2 million have fled their homes the conflict erupted in February 2003 when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Khartoum regime and state-backed Arab militias. Sudan says 10,000 have been killed.
(ST)
Mabor Yiel
Rebels shot down unmanned plane in West Darfur
” Then what next is to wipe out all those military spies operating in Darfur.
Sudan Libratiom Movement/Army SLM/A is not smart like JEM. Because of your many colors, you turn your blinded eyes against your own people when you are cheated by NCP by accepting the fake position which can not render good services to the people of Darfur.
Shooting on the mountains does not help anything at all unless you united all your forces and face the Bashir regime with one objective.
Watch out!