Darfur rebels say down government plane

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - The Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement said on Thursday it had shot down a Sudanese government plane and warned aid workers, the African Union and others to get permission before flying over the vast region.

JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim said his group had hit a government Antonov plane flying over West Darfur just once before it began smoking and eventually crash landed some 5 km south-east of South Darfur capital, Nyala.

"We shot it (this morning) in West Darfur and now it has fallen in the forest 5 kilometers south-east of Nyala airport," he told Reuters.

The Sudanese army was not immediately available to comment on the unconfirmed report.

Ibrahim said all flights in Darfur, whether commercial, humanitarian or from AU peacekeepers should get JEM's permission at least 24 hours in advance before flying to guarantee their safety.

"JEM is declaring Darfur a no-fly zone," he said. "We don't want to victimize anyone but we are targeting the government who are using civilian aircraft for their operations."

The United Nations has reported that the government has used white aircraft for offensive operations in Darfur, a move which was condemned by the world body. White is the universal color for humanitarian or peacekeeping aircraft and distinguishes them from combatants.

JEM has rearmed in the past year quickly becoming the biggest military threat to Khartoum in Darfur. Ibrahim's group boycotted peace talks which formally opened in October but ended after a few days in Libya after many rebels refused to join.

International experts estimate some 200,000 people have died in Darfur with 2.5 million forced to flee their homes by looting, killing and rape.

The world's largest humanitarian operation provides aid to more than 4 million people in Darfur -- around two-thirds its estimated population. Because of a break down of law and order, most of those aid workers travel by air rather than the bandit-ridden roads.

Khartoum says it only bombs in self defense when rebels attack. It blames the Western media for exaggerating the conflict which President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said had claimed 9,000 lives.

(editing by Mary Gabriel)