'Explosion Before Landing' All Passengers Killed... UAE Aircraft Destroyed by Sudanese Air Force Attack

Military: "40 Colombian Mercenaries Supporting Rebels On Board"
Sudanese Government Claims "UAE Aiding Rebels"

The Sudanese Air Force shot down a United Arab Emirates (UAE) aircraft as it was landing at an airport in western Darfur. It is reported that the plane was carrying 40 Colombian mercenaries hired by the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

According to Sudanese state TV on August 7 (local time), the Sudanese Air Force launched a surprise attack on the runway of Nyala International Airport in South Darfur on the morning of the previous day. As a result, the UAE aircraft, which was in the process of landing, was completely destroyed, and all Colombian mercenaries on board were killed.

This is an image of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese rebel group. Photo by AP and Yonhap News.

Sudanese state TV reported that the aircraft had departed from an air base in the Gulf region, carrying foreign mercenaries and military equipment intended to support the RSF. However, a UAE government official refuted these claims, calling them "baseless" and "complete fabrications without any evidence." The official further asserted that "this announcement is part of the Sudanese government's ongoing campaign of misinformation and distortion." The RSF has not issued a separate statement.

The Sudanese government, led by the military, accused the UAE on August 4 of recruiting Colombian mercenaries and providing financial support to the RSF. In May, Sudan designated the UAE as a hostile nation and severed diplomatic relations, citing UAE support for the RSF. Throughout the civil war, which has lasted for more than two years, Sudanese government forces have claimed that the UAE has supplied weapons to the RSF.

Sudan, which gained independence from Britain and Egypt in 1956, has since experienced prolonged civil wars and political instability. On April 15, 2023, a power struggle between government leader Abdel Fattah Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo escalated into armed conflict, leading to the current civil war. At present, government forces control the eastern, northern, and central regions, while the RSF holds most of western Darfur and parts of the south.