Sudan’s air force has destroyed a United Arab Emirates (UAE) aircraft carrying Colombian mercenaries while it was landing at an airport controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Darfur region of western Sudan. According to the army-aligned state TV, the attack killed at least 40 people on Wednesday. The Sudanese army has accused the UAE of supplying advanced weaponry, including drones, to the RSF via Nyala Airport, which has recently come under repeated air strikes.
The UAE has denied the accusations, despite numerous reports from UN experts, US political officials, and international organizations. Satellite images released by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab have shown multiple Chinese-made long-range drones at the airport of the South Darfur state capital. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro said his government was trying to find out how many Colombians died in the attack, stating, “We will see if we can bring their bodies back”. Petro also announced plans to ban mercenary activity, calling it “a trade in men turned into commodities to kill”.
Sudan’s war, now in its third year, has killed tens of thousands, displaced 13 million, and plunged the nation into the world’s worst hunger and displacement crisis. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF erupted in April 2023, with both sides accusing each other of atrocities. The RSF controls nearly all of Darfur, and the army has been launching repeated air strikes against RSF positions.
The humanitarian situation in Sudan continues to deteriorate, with thousands of families trapped in the besieged city of el-Fasher at “risk of starvation”, according to the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP). An outbreak of cholera in the North Darfur state has further added to the misery. The international community has expressed concern over the escalating violence and humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
The UAE has banned Sudanese aircraft from landing at its airports and prevented one Sudanese airline’s aircraft from taking off from Abu Dhabi Airport, citing operational standards as the reason. Sudan’s Badr Airlines and Tarco Aviation operate almost daily flights to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai airports. The Sudanese government has condemned the UAE’s actions, accusing them of supporting the RSF.