Rebels claim MiG kill

The rebel Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) alleged on Saturday it shot down a Zimbabwean MiG fighter plane as it attacked an MLC position in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to AFP. However, a Harare-based defence specialist told IRIN that Zimbabwe had no MiGs, or the Chinese MiG equivalent the A-7, operating in the DRC. “Every time the rebels see a plane they say it’s a Zimbabwean MiG,” Michael Quintana, editor of the ‘Africa Defence Journal’ said.

MLC chief Jean-Pierre Bemba told AFP by satellite phone from his headquarters in Gbadolite that a formation of three Zimbabwean MiGs attempted to bomb MLC positions at Basankusu (in the northern Equateur province) but one was shot down with a surface-to-air missile. Quintana said that spare parts and foreign exchange shortages has reduced Zimbabwe’s fleet of Hawk ground-attack jets to just two. But President Laurent-Desire Kabila’s forces are believed to posses MiG-21s, MiG-23s and SU-25 ground-attack planes. Their operational status is however unknown. Propeller-driven Antonov-12 transports have also been rigged with crude bomb racks. Zimbabwe, along with Angola and Namibia are supporting Kabila against Rwandan and Ugandan-backed rebels.