UAE rejects Sudan claim it destroyed Emirati plane full of mercenaries
Talek Harris with AFP teams in Sudan
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.
