The Sudanese air force claims to have bombed and destroyed a United Arab Emirates plane as it landed at RSF-controlled Nyala airport in Darfur. The plane was carrying Colombian mercenaries and military equipment. The attack killed at least 40 people. Both the RSF and the Emirates have denied the attack. Colombia’s president is trying to return the bodies of the dead. The Sudanese army has long accused the Emirates of supplying arms to the RSF, which Abu Dhabi denies. The United Nations has confirmed that Colombian fighters began arriving in Darfur in late 2024 and are fighting on multiple fronts.
Sudan’s air force has claimed to have destroyed a United Arab Emirates plane that was bombed at Nyala airport in Darfur, controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). At least 40 people were killed in the attack late Wednesday night, according to military-backed state television. Al Jazeera confirmed the news.
The plane was carrying Colombian mercenaries and military equipment. It took off from an air base in the Gulf and was sent to provide support to the RSF. The airport is also under RSF control.
Read more: Govt to Launch Starlink Internet in 100 Schools Across Chittagong Hill Tracts
Background and reaction to the attack
The Sudanese army and the RSF have been in a bitter conflict since April 2023. Nyala airport has been the target of repeated airstrikes in recent months. The army alleges that the UAE is supplying the RSF with advanced weapons, including drones, through the airport. Abu Dhabi denies these allegations.
A military source told AFP that the plane had been completely destroyed. The RSF did not comment on the matter. An Emirati official condemned the attack as “false.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his government was trying to determine the number of Colombians killed and to recover the bodies.
International reaction and evidence
Satellite images from Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab showed Chinese-made long-range drones at the airport in the capital of South Darfur. On Monday, Sudan’s army-backed government accused the UAE of recruiting and financing Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF, claiming it had sufficient evidence.
UN experts have confirmed that the arrival of Colombian fighters in Darfur began in late 2024 and that they are currently fighting on various fronts.
Source: Kalbela
