October 22, Nairobi — On Monday, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said they shot down a cargo jet in Malha, northern Darfur, near the border of Chad. In videos on social media, RSF fighters posed with alleged identity documents from the crash.
The RSF claimed they had eliminated the plane used as a bomber by the Sudanese army. All the crew were killed.
However, the documents in the footage suggests that the aircraft was affiliated the United Arab Emirates, and helping to arm the RSF in the war. The documents were also linked to an airline company in Kyrgyzstan.
The UAE has denied any involvement in the war effort, despite strong evidence to the contrary. The same Kyrgyzstan airline was found to have been facilitating UAE transfers to Sudan through Chad earlier this month.
Russia’s embassy in Khartoum confirmed it was investigating the incident. They said that Russians may have been board at the time. A Russian passport was identified in the footage of the crash circulating on social media.
UAE Arming
Last month, the UAE was accused of using Russian mercenaries to ship arms to the RSF in Sudan. The arms were allegedly shipped by Wagner rebels, who are now renamed Africa Corps, via the Central African Republic and to an airport in Chad on the Sudanese border.
The Sudanese government has repeatedly accused the UAE of supporting the RSF and urgent the United Nations to take action against its “continuous aggressive activities.” They claim they have evidence that points to the UAE’s involvement against Sudanese civilians, especially in El Fasher, where violence has been escalating.