Russia denies links with helicopter detained by Darfur rebels

The Russian Foreign Ministry denies having any links with the citizens or the cargo company of the helicopter that must make an emergency landing in South Darfur and was detained by rebels.In a statement, the ministry stated that a private Kuwaiti company in fact owns the helicopter, which on its turn was used to transfer food items for Unamid.It is said the helicopter, due to technical problems, must make an emergency landing in a rebel-controlled area of South Darfur on 3 August, Russia says its crew counted two Ukrainians and one Sudanese.Kiyv Post reports that the the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that “the crewmembers of an Mi-8 helicopter seized in Sudan were not sent by Ukraine to participate in the United Nations mission in the country.” For its part, the rebel group Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawi (SLA-MM) says that “investigations indicate that the helicopter is owned by a company belonging to the Khartoum regime, which Unamid rents.”The rebel movement affirmed it contacted “all sides, including the company that owns the aircraft and Unamid without receiving a reply.”“We are close to finishing our investigation and will release the helicopter and the crew if it is proved that the aircraft belongs to Unamid or any organisation working in the humanitarian field,” the rebels said.  File photo by Albert Gonzalez Farran/Unamid Related: UN-contracted chopper ‘detained’ by Sudan rebels: Unamid (13 August 2013)