Sudan says it received 12 MIG fighters from Russia; US critical Saturday 15 November 2008.
November 14, 2008 (MOSCOW) – The Sudanese top military official revealed today that his country bought fighter jets from Russia.
Sudan's defense minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein told reporters during a visit to the Russian capital that they have received a new shipment of
12 MIG-29's.
"Yes, it's all done. The planes have been bought" Hussein was quoted as saying to in response to a question about a contract for the purchase of the 12 planes..
The Sudanese defense minister did not say when the fighters were contracted for or when they were received.
Last July a source told Sudan Tribune that a dozen MIG-29 combat fighters were shipped discreetly by planes through a Belarusian company.
But the source could not confirm whether the fighters were actually sold by Belarus or they simply came through the East European country.
The Russian and Belarusian governments at the time vehemently denied the report.
The announcement drew strong rebuke by the US administration describing it "as the last thing that country needs".
"Sudan is a poor country and to go out and buy MIG's, obviously that's something we don't think is a positive step" US State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood told reporters when asked if such a purchase undermined Sudan's call for a truce in Darfur.
This week the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir pledged a ceasefire and disarmament of the government supported Janjaweed militias in the troubled region of Darfur. If the MIG-29's are used in Darfur it would be in violation of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution 1591 which prohibits selling arms to Sudan government or Darfur rebels for use in the war ravaged region.
Russia has been accused by Amnesty International (AI) of supplying arms to Sudan for use in Darfur but the Russian foreign ministry denied the charge.
Last May a MIG-29 was shot down by Darfur rebels over the Sudanese twin capital city of Omdurman and its Russian pilot was killed.
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John Ashworth
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