Darfur rebels claim shooting down Sudan army chopper in new clashes

NAIROBI, Jan 5 (AFP) — One of the rebel groups fighting in Sudan’s western region of Darfur late Tuesday claimed that its fighters this week shot down a government helicopter in new clashes in northern Darfur state.

Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) Secretary General Mini Arco Minawi told AFP that they shot down an helicopter on Monday after government troops attacked their stronghold in North Darfur’s Alssaiah area, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of El Fasher.

“Our troops defeated the attackers and shot down one of the two helicopters,” Minawi said from the Eritrean capital Asmara, where the insurgents are based.

The claim could not be independently confirmed.

SLM alongside rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) launched a revolt in February 2003 against the Khartoum governement, complaining of marginalisation. The two sides signed a ceasefire in April, but the truce has often been violated. The African Union (AU) has a ceasefire monitoring team in the ground.

Minawi said they have informed the AU truce monitors in the region of the incident and urged the pan-African body to press Khartoum to withdraw from rebel-held positions as agreed in a security protocol signed on November 9 in Abuja.

The Darfur rebellion prompted a heavy-handed crackdown by pro-government militias, attacking villagers, murdering and raping civilians, claiming tens of thousands of lives and driving more than 1.6 million from their homes, according to the United Nations.