Sudan claims it downed UAE plane carrying Colombian mercenaries
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Colombian President Gustavo Petro reportedly instructed Colombia's ambassador in Egypt to verify the number of nationals killed.
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A Colombian mercenary is photographed in Sudan (Undated, social media)
The Sudanese army claimed it had destroyed a UAE aircraft carrying "Colombian mercenaries" at Nyala Airport in South Darfur, killing at least 40 people.
According to Sudan’s state television, "the Sudanese army destroyed a UAE plane while it was landing at Nyala Airport, which is under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)," adding that "the aircraft had taken off from a Gulf airbase and was transporting weapons and military equipment to the RSF." The strike was framed by Sudanese media as a warning against continued foreign intervention in the conflict.
Satellite imagery analyzed by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab confirms that an aircraft at Nyala Airport was destroyed on May 2, 2025, showing extensive thermal damage and debris patterns consistent with an airstrike. This independent verification supports the army’s claim that a military operation targeted a plane at the site.
Sudan 🇸🇩: Video from a colombian 🇨🇴 mercenary made in early 2025 showing damages from SAF airstrike in the Nyala airport in South Darfur. We can see a chinese made CH-95 drone with guided munitions of the Rapid Support Forces. pic.twitter.com/i4dOIfpfNi
— Hammer Of War (@HammerOfWar5) August 3, 2025
The Sudanese government has long accused the UAE of arming the RSF and of recruiting and financing Colombian mercenaries to fight alongside it. Officials say they possess documents substantiating this connection, some of which have already been submitted to the UN Security Council. Investigative reports and monitoring by regional and international organizations have also documented the presence of foreign fighters in Darfur. UN experts had earlier confirmed that Colombian nationals, hired via private security companies, have been active in Darfur since late 2024, with concentrations around the Sudanese army-held city of Al-Fashir.
SUDAN: MORE COLOMBIAN ID CARDS FOUND
— African Stream (@african_stream) June 16, 2025
On 21 May 2025, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) discovered Colombian identity cards in the Al-Salha neighbourhood of Omdurman city, Khartoum State, after recapturing it from the Emirati-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It comes after… pic.twitter.com/6aLHPSmezB
Commenting on the reports, Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated that, in light of "news about the killing of Colombian mercenaries in Sudan," he had instructed Colombia’s ambassador in Egypt to verify the number of nationals killed. He also urged the swift adoption of a law banning mercenary activity by Colombian citizens.
The UAE has denied the allegations. Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, an Emirati official described the claims from what he termed "the Port Sudan authority" as "baseless and entirely lacking in evidence," calling them part of a "systematic campaign of misinformation and distortion." The official challenged Sudan to present verifiable proof.
Read more: Sudan says Abu Dhabi banned its planes from UAE airports
The incident has fueled discussions of foreign interference, with renewed debates over the role of Gulf states. Nyala Airport, under RSF control, has been a strategic point for supply flights, both military and humanitarian. The destruction of the aircraft, if confirmed as a foreign-operated supply mission, would mark one of the most direct confrontations yet between Sudan’s army and a state accused of arming its rival.
