Sudan Airstrike Kills 40 Suspected Mercenaries At Darfur Airport
Wednesday's strike on the Nyala airport killed at least 40 suspected mercenaries from Colombia and destroyed a shipment of arms and equipment that were sent by the United Arab Emirates to the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, according to two Sudanese military officials and an advisor to a Darfur rebel leader allied with the RSF.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. The advisor also requested anonymity for his safety.
Sudan plunged into chaos when simmering tensions between the country's military and the RSF exploded into fighting in April 2023 in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country.
The fighting has turned into a full-fledged civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 14 million people and pushed parts of the country into famine. The war has been marked by atrocities, including mass killings and rape in what is being investigated as war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
State-run Sudan TV reported the aircraft had taken off from a military base in the Arab Gulf region, and that Sudanese fighter jets struck it when it landed at the Nyala airport. It described the strike as a "blatant message" and a "new equation of deterrence" against foreign interference in Sudan's affairs.
The Emirati Foreign Ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. However, it has repeatedly denied involvement in the Sudan war by backing armed groups. There was also no comment from the RSF.
Responding to the reports, Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on X overnight that he ordered an investigation into the mercenaries' killing.
The RSF seized Nyala, the capital city of South Darfur province, last year as part of the paramilitary group's push to control the entire region of Darfur. The Sudanese government has accused the RSF of turning the city's civilian airport into a military hub to receive weapons shipments and smuggle gold.
The Sudanese military has repeatedly struck the airport, saying it targeted aircraft delivering military supplies and mercenaries to the RSF.
UN experts confirmed in a report released in April that Colombian mercenaries were present in Darfur and that those mercenaries were hired by a private security firm to support the RSF.
According to the report, the Colombian Foreign Ministry acknowledged that Colombian mercenaries were in Darfur and announced the establishment of a special immediate response group to ensure the safe return of its nationals.
The Sudanese aviation agency, meanwhile, said the UAE barred Sudanese planes from landing at its airports, in what it called a "surprise, uncoordinated" measure.
The Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that a Sudanese airliner was also barred from taking off at the Abu Dhabi airport, according to a report by the state-run SUNA news agency.
The UAE's Foreign Ministry also didn't respond to a request for comment on the report.
Relations between the military-allied government in Sudan and the UAE have been frayed over Abu Dhabi's alleged support for the RSF. The Sudanese government severed ties with the UAE earlier this year over the allegations.
In other war developments, satellite imagery analyzed by the US-based Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab, HRL, showed that the RSF has imposed a total blockade on el-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur that was still under the military's control.
In a Wednesday report, HRL said "there is no route of the city that RSF doesn't control," and that civilians attempting to get out need to pass through a 50-meter-wide (yards) RSF control point.
The RSF has been attempting to take over El-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur province, for over a year to complete its control of Darfur's five provinces.
The paramilitaries have repeatedly attacked the city. HRL said it documented the bombardment by RSF of two markets, three schools and two mosques in the city since June.
Earlier this year, the RSF conquered the sprawling Zamzam displacement camp on the city's outskirts, killing hundreds of people and forcing the camp's population to flee.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
7 hours ago
- First Post
Putin confirms upcoming Trump summit, suggests UAE as possible venue
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday confirmed upcoming high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump, saying that 'both sides had expressed interest' and suggested that the United Arab Emirates could be a potential venue read more Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday confirmed upcoming high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump, saying that 'both sides had expressed interest' and suggested that the United Arab Emirates could be a potential venue. The announcement followed a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with whom Putin reaffirmed deepening bilateral cooperation. When asked who initiated the proposed Trump-Putin meeting, Putin emphasised that both parties had expressed interest and that who reached out first is now 'no longer relevant.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Regarding the venue, he named the UAE as a potential host, calling the country 'one of the suitable locations.' 'We have many friends willing to help organise such events. One of them is the President of the United Arab Emirates. The exact venue is still being decided, but the UAE would be one of the suitable options,' Putin told reporters. On the possibility of including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the talks, Putin said, 'I have nothing against it in principle — but certain conditions must be met first. Unfortunately, we are still far from that point.' Earlier in the day, Kremlin said President Putin and President Trump will meet in the coming days, as the US president seeks a breakthrough to end the Ukraine war after voicing mounting frustration with his Russian counterpart and threatening him with new sanctions. The announcement came a day after Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, held three hours of talks with Putin in Moscow. Meanwhile, President Putin held a meeting with President Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan in a sign of the ever-strengthening ties between the two countries. Nahyan second visit to the country in less than a year, according to Emirati state media service WAM, was focused on the two countries' 'strategic partnership' and on 'ways to enhance cooperation, particularly in the economic, trade, investment, energy, and other areas that serve joint development, in addition to regional and international issues of common interest.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The UAE is a longtime close ally of the United States and a major military and intelligence partner. It is also Russia's most important economic partner in the Middle East — and trade between the two has ballooned in recent years, particularly since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine. Abu Dhabi has not officially taken a side on the Russia-Ukraine war, instead calling for peace and an end to the fighting. It has also refused to partake in Western sanctions against Russia, providing a safe haven for Russian oligarchs and expatriates fleeing both sanctions and mandatory conscription. Some 4,000 Russian businesses operate in the UAE, according to reports, and foreign direct investment between the two has steadily increased. The UAE leader's visit also comes as the White House announced an upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin to discuss Ukraine war ceasefire efforts — and in the wake of Trump announcing punitive tariffs on India for importing Russian oil, which the American leader says is 'fuelling the war machine.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
NDTV
7 hours ago
- NDTV
UAE Refutes Sudan's Claim About Destroying Emirati Plane Carrying Mercenaries
The United Arab Emirates rejected on Thursday an announcement from Sudan's armed forces saying they had destroyed an Emirati plane carrying Colombian mercenaries. Sudan has been locked in a war between its army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April of 2023, with the military long accusing Abu Dhabi of supporting its rival. On Wednesday, army-aligned state TV said at least 40 people were killed when Sudan's air force struck an Emirati aircraft transporting mercenaries as it landed at a paramilitary-controlled airport in the war-torn Darfur region. "These unfounded allegations... are entirely false, lack any evidentiary basis, and represent a continuation of (Sudan's) ongoing campaign of disinformation and deflection," a UAE official told AFP. A Sudanese military source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, had said the UAE plane "was bombed and destroyed" at Darfur's Nyala airport. State TV said the aircraft 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. 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 from UN experts, US political officials and international organisations. "It is particularly significant that it is one of the warring parties making these allegations as it is directly involved in the hostilities and has every incentive to manipulate the narrative," the UAE official said Thursday.
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
Sudanese airstrike hits Darfur airport, killing 40 suspected mercenaries
A Sudanese airstrike hit an airport in the country's Darfur region controlled by a notorious paramilitary group, destroying a suspected Emirati military aircraft and killing dozens of suspected mercenaries, Sudanese officials and a rebel adviser said Thursday (August 7, 2025). Wednesday's (August 6, 2025) strike on the Nyala airport killed at least 40 suspected mercenaries from Colombia and destroyed a shipment of arms and equipment that were sent by the United Arab Emirates to the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, according to two Sudanese military officials and an adviser to a Darfur rebel leader allied with RSF. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief the media. The adviser also requested anonymity for his safety. Sudan plunged into chaos when simmering tensions between the military and RSF exploded into fighting in April 2023 in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country. The fighting has turned into a full-fledged civil war that killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 14 million people and pushed parts of the country into famine. The war has been marked by atrocities, including mass killings and rape in what is being investigated as war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. State-run Sudan TV reported the aircraft had taken off from a military base in the Arab Gulf region, and that Sudanese fighter jets struck it when it landed at the Nyala airport. It described the strike as a 'blatant message' and a 'new equation of deterrence' against foreign interference in Sudan's affairs. In an emailed response to The Associated Press, the UAE's Foreign Ministry denied the accusations as 'unfounded allegations' that 'lack any evidentiary basis.' It said the allegations were part of Sudan's government's 'ongoing campaign of disinformation and deflection.' There was no immediate comment from RSF. Responding to the reports, Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on X overnight that he ordered an investigation into the mercenaries' killing. RSF seized Nyala, the capital of South Darfur province, last year as part of the paramilitary group's push to control the entire region of Darfur. The Sudanese government has accused RSF of turning the city's civilian airport into a military hub to receive weapons shipments and smuggle gold. The Sudanese military has repeatedly struck the airport, saying it targeted aircraft delivering military supplies and mercenaries to RSF. U.N. experts confirmed in a report released in April that Colombian mercenaries were present in Darfur and that those mercenaries were hired by a private security firm to support RSF. According to the report, the Colombian Foreign Ministry acknowledged that Colombian mercenaries were in Darfur and announced the establishment of a special immediate response group to ensure the safe return of its nationals. The Sudanese aviation agency, meanwhile, said that the UAE barred Sudanese planes on Wednesday (August 6, 2025) from landing at its airports, in what it called a 'surprise, uncoordinated' measure. The Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that a Sudanese airliner was also barred from taking off at the Abu Dhabi airport, according to a report by the state-run SUNA news agency. Relations between the military-allied government in Sudan and the UAE have been frayed over Abu Dhabi's alleged support to RSF. The Sudanese government severed ties with the UAE earlier this year over the allegations. In other war developments, satellite imagery analysed by the U.S.-based Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab, or HRL, showed that RSF has imposed a total blockade on el-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur that was still under the military's control. HRL said in a report Wednesday (August 6, 2025) that 'there is no route of the city that RSF doesn't control,' and that civilians attempting to get out need to pass through a 50-meter-wide RSF control point. RSF has been attempting to take over el-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur province, for more than a year to complete its control of Darfur's five provinces. The paramilitaries have repeatedly attacked the city. HRL said that it had documented the bombardment by RSF of two markets, three schools and two mosques in the city since June. Earlier this year, RSF conquered the sprawling Zamzam displacement camp on the city's outskirts, killing hundreds of people and forcing the camp's population to flee.
