UAE rejects Sudan claim it destroyed Emirati plane full of mercenaries
The United Arab Emirates rejected on Thursday an announcement from Sudan’s armed forces saying they had destroyed an Emirati plane ferrying Colombian mercenaries into the country to back paramilitary rivals.
Sudan has been locked in a war between its army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, with the military long accusing Abu Dhabi of supporting the RSF — an allegation it denies.
On Wednesday, army-aligned state TV said Sudan’s air force struck an Emirati plane as it landed at an RSF-controlled airport in the war-torn Darfur region, killing 40 Colombian soldiers for hire.
A UAE official told AFP that the “unfounded allegations” were “entirely false” and not supported by any evidence.
The official dismissed the latest claims as part of Sudan’s “ongoing campaign of disinformation and deflection”.
A Sudanese military source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, had said the plane “was bombed and completely destroyed” at Darfur’s Nyala airport.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his government was trying to find out how many Colombians died in the attack, adding: “We will see if we can bring their bodies back.”
Sudan had accused the UAE earlier this week of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight against the army on behalf of the RSF.
State TV said the plane had taken off from an airbase in the Gulf, carrying dozens of foreign fighters and military equipment intended for the RSF, which controls nearly all of Darfur.
Nyala airport has recently come under repeated air strikes by the Sudanese army.
– Foreign fighters at displacement camp –
The army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has accused the UAE of supplying advanced weaponry, including drones, to the RSF via the airport.
Abu Dhabi denies the accusations, despite numerous reports of its involvement from UN experts, US political officials and international organisations.
Reports of Colombian fighters in Darfur date back to late 2024 and have been deemed credible by UN experts.
In recent days, a pro-army coalition in Darfur known as the Joint Forces reported the presence of more than 80 Colombian mercenaries involved in RSF operations in El-Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur state.
Some of the foreign fighters, the group said, were killed during the RSF’s latest failed assault on the city.
Recent videos published by the army show mercenaries at a location that a spokesman identified as the Zamzam displacement camp near El-Fasher.
“Civilians in areas near Zamzam have reported their belongings and vehicles stolen by mercenaries,” camp spokesman Mohamed Khamis Douda told AFP via satellite connection to circumvent a communications blackout.
AFP could not independently verify the videos.
– External actors –
In May, Sudan’s army-aligned government officially declared the UAE an “aggressor state”, severing all diplomatic relations.
The UAE responded by stating that the internationally-recognised Sudanese government “does not represent the legitimate government” of the country.
On Wednesday, Sudan’s civil aviation authority claimed the UAE had imposed a ban on Sudanese planes from landing at Emirati airports and blocked a Sudanese airliner from taking off from Abu Dhabi.
The UAE has not publicly responded to the reported flight ban.
Last month, the latest US attempt to chart a way out of the conflict broke down as Egypt and the UAE, seen as key external players, disagreed on the role the warring parties would play in a potential peace process.
Sudan’s newly appointed Prime Minister Kamil Idris travelled to Cairo on Thursday — his first official foreign trip since taking office.
In a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, Idris said there was “consensus” between the two countries on key regional and international issues.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who also met Idris, reiterated Egypt’s “steadfast support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sudan”.
Sudan is now effectively split, with the army in control of the north, east and centre, and the RSF dominating nearly all of Darfur in the west as well as parts of the south.
Both sides have faced claims of war crimes during the conflict, which has killed tens of thousands and created what the UN describes as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.
