Sudanese military helicopter crashes in Darfur; one injured

KHARTOUM, Sudan, Oct 17, 2004 (AP) — A military helicopter has crashed in Sudan’s troubled western Darfur region, injuring one crewman aboard, Sudan’s state-run news agency reported Sunday.

Two Sudanese military helicopters at Elgeneina airport

Two other crew members were unhurt in Saturday’s crash, the agency reported, quoting an army statement.

The helicopter crashed in Nyala, in South Darfur province, on returning from a military reconnaissance flight, according to the army statement. It blamed a “technical failure in one engine” for the crash, which apparently happened on landing at Nyala airport, where the military has a dedicated area, but did not say whether there was any damage on the ground.

Darfur remains an active military zone despite a cease-fire agreement signed in April by the Sudanese government and the Darfur rebel movements in Ndjamena, Chad. Rebels have been demanding the government halt all military flights in the region, something Khartoum strongly opposes.

The Sudanese military is accused by the United States and international community of backing Arab militiamen blamed for killings, rapes and the burning and looting of villages in a fight against the rebels. Khartoum denies the accusation.

More than 1 1/2 years of chaos in the region is blamed by the World Health Organization for 70,000 deaths, mainly caused by illness in camps for the displaced.