PHOTOS: Sudanese military helicopter shot down over Darfur
May 3, 2007 (PARIS) — Sudan Tribune publishes hereafter two pictures showing the chopper downed by the rebel SLA on April 29, 2007 at Umrai in North Darfur. The first one we can see the tail of the helicopter. The second photo shows the machine gun and the ammunitions used in the strike.
The Sudanese army denied the aerial attack claiming the military plane was in reconnaissance mission. But the rebels said the downed helicopter had been bombarding the area on a daily basis over a sustained period of two weeks. They further added that every day an Antonov aircraft with two choppers attack the different rebel positions.
According to Sudan Tribune information a joint AU-UN fact finding mission visited the rebels and verified the accuracy of their allegations on the ceasefire breaches. They also saw the downed helicopter.
Resolution 1591 issued by the UN Security Council on March 27 2008, prohibits Sudan from conducting offensive military flights in and over the Darfur region.
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Max Ivanenko
PHOTOS: Sudanese military helicopter shot down over Darfur
It should be noted that the “machine gun” above is actually a multiple rocket launcher. Judging by its tail configuration, this was probably a Soviet-made Mi-24 attack helicopter, which is heavily armoured and quite deadly. It would have taken a heavy anti-aircraft cannon or a shoulder-fired missile to bring it down.