Sudan has drones, is pursuing missiles - state media

By Andrew Heavens

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan has developed unmanned surveillance planes, is developing missiles, and is now "self-sufficient" in conventional weapons, a Sudanese state news agency reported.

The rare public announcement on Sudan's military capability gave no details on how far missile development had progressed or where the surveillance drones might be used.

International commentators were sceptical about the scope of its statements, and no one was available for comment from the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday.

"Sudan's defence minister has revealed that his country has successfully developed unmanned surveillance planes," the state-run Sudanese Media Centre said in a report on Tuesday.

"The minister of defence, Lt-Gen Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein, told reporters that Sudan is now self sufficient in conventional weapons and is also in the process of developing missiles."

Hussein was quoted as telling journalists that Sudan had received imports of military technology from Russia, Belarus, Korea, Iran, China, Indonesia and Malaysia and had signed deals with China and Russia to modernise its air force.

"We are the number three country in Africa as far as manufacturing military equipment after Egypt and South Africa," Hussein was quoted as saying.

International commentators said Sudan might be trying to send a message to the organisers of the promised 26,000-strong U.N. and African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur that Khartoum was capable of monitoring their movements.