Iran violating arms embargo on Sudan: report

September 4, 2008 (LONDON) – The Iranian government has supplied Sudan with weapons used in the war ravaged region of Darfur, a report revealed today.

A report by ‘Africa Confidential’ alleged that an unmanned spy plane that Darfur rebels claimed to have shot down last week was Iranian made.

“On 28 August, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Unity Command shot down an Iranian-made Ababil-111 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)” ‘Africa Confidential’ said in a press release.

However there was no mention of how ‘Africa Confidential’ obtained this information.

A Sudanese army spokesman at the time said they lost an unmanned military plane at east of Jebel Marra and was unable to say whether the aircraft was shot down.

The newsletter also quoted military sources as saying that the UAV “probably controlled by Iranian technicians”.

The report come in contradiction to earlier reports that the spy plane may be Chinese made because due to Chinese writing on the body of the aircraft.

Last year Sudan’s defense 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.

Sudan and Iran signed a military cooperation agreement in March to bolster bilateral military relations.

The two countries signed an agreement on cooperation in the fields of technology, education, science, industry and exchange of expert delegations as well as establishment of military cooperation commission.

The UN resolution 1591 issued by the UN Security Council (UNSC) imposes arms embargo on Darfur region. A panel of experts in April 2007 recommended that the Security Council expand the arms embargo to the entire territory of the Sudan.

China and Russia has been accused of being the top violators of the arms embargo.

(ST)