An Emirati official denied the accusations of the Sudanese army on Thursday concerning an Emirati plane carrying Colombian mercenaries, which she claims to have killed Wednesday in the west of Sudan ravaged by war.
On Wednesday, Sudanese state television reported that the Sudanese Air Force had destroyed an airplane from the United Arab Emirates conveying Colombian mercenaries, at least 40 of which were killed, to its landing at an airport controlled by the paramilitaries in Darfur.
Sudan accuses the Emirates of supporting the paramilitaries
“These unfounded allegations […] are entirely false, are not based on any evidence and are part of the continuity of the disinformation and diversion campaign led by Sudan, “said an Emirati official, while his country is regularly accused of supporting the paramilitaries of the rapid support forces (FSR) at war against the army in Sudan.
The device “was bombed and completely destroyed” when it landed at Nyala airport in Darfur-Sud, said a Sudanese military source, under the cover of anonymity.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his government was trying to determine how many Colombians had perished in the attack. “We will see if we can repatriate their bodies,” he wrote on X. This airport has recently been bombed several times by the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, committed since April 2023 in a devastating war against the FSR of his assistant who became rival, Mohamed Daglo.
Colombian fighters in Darfur
In June, three witnesses had reported that a cargo plane had been bombed there shortly after landing. Like other conflicts, that of Sudan is exacerbated by foreign interference, often carried out behind the basis.
In this context, the army has long accused the Emirates of providing paramilitaries with weapons, including drones, via Nyala airport. Abu Dhabi has always denied any involvement, despite several reports of UN experts and international organizations.
The United Arab Emirates pointed out on Thursday that “one of the parties at war” was behind the last accusations, suggesting that the army “had every interest in manipulating the story”. On Monday, the Sudanese government aligned with the army had accused the Emirates of recruiting and financed Colombian mercenaries to fight alongside the paramilitaries, claiming to hold documents proving it.
Former soldiers or guerrillas
Colombian mercenaries, often former soldiers or guerrillas, have appeared in other conflicts around the world, and have already been recruited by the Emirates for operations in Yemen and in the Gulf. The war in Sudan, which is entering its third year, left tens of thousands of deaths, moved 13 million people and plunged this poor country in the worst current humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the UN.