Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir has promised to solve all the problems pertaining to re-location of the Russian Helicopter Group (RHG) operating in the neighboring Chad. RHD is to be re-based to Dzhiba in the Southern Sudan. 

Mikhail Margelov, the president of the Russian Federation’s special representative for Sudan, spoke to journalists to make public this decision. “During the meeting we just had with the president of Sudan, we raised an issue about re-basing of the Russian helicopters from Chad to Southern Sudan. The president assured me that, presently, his clearance for moving of the RHG equipment and personnel into Dzhiba will be issued”, Margelov said.

Until this moment the Sudanese authorities had been hesitating with issuing such a clearance. The helicopters flying in Chad have long been planned to join the Russian air force grouping operating as part of the United Nation’s mission in Southern Sudan. The current plan is to move these four Russian air force helicopters into Sudan between 10 and 13 December 2010.