Darfur: RSF deny Sudan army claims of Nyala Airport attack ‘killing Colombian mercenaries’

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have denied claims by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on Wednesday that they “destroyed an Emirati aircraft carrying Colombian mercenaries and military equipment destined for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF),” as it landed in the South Darfur capital of Nyala. The claims were also previously refuted by an Emirati source.

In a statement broadcast on Sudan TV yesterday, the RSF dismissed the SAF claims as “completely baseless allegations, and part of the media war, which the so-called remnants of the regime have been accustomed to, to cover up their successive military defeats, especially on the fronts of Kordofan, and to divert attention from the state of collapse they are experiencing following the heavy losses in equipment and lives, which they suffered in the battles of Kordofan,” according to the RSF statement.

Radio Dabanga was unable to independently verify the claims, and although they were widely reported, the SAF, RSF, and UAE did not initially respond to requests for comment.

An Emirati official, on condition of anonymity, denied what he considered “false allegations”, calling on Khartoum to provide evidence to back-up their claims. “These allegations are completely false, lack evidence, and are a continuation of a systematic campaign of misinformation and distortion.”

In its statement on TV yesterday, the RSF asserts that the South Darfur capital of Nyala, with its airport, vital facilities and strategic areas, enjoys complete protection and comprehensive security from all four geographical directions through advanced air defence systems that have been recently reinforced and modernised, enabling them to repel and thwart all previous attempts to penetrate its airspace. The statement added: “Any hostile object approaching Nyala’s airspace or threatening its security will be immediately destroyed,” noting that the RSF recently shot down Iranian drones and others of the Bayraktar and Akanji type, according to the statement.

The RSF statement dismisses the use of foreign fighters in their ranks as “a complete lie and a miserable claim devoid of logic”. The paramilitary force counter-accuse the army of using foreign forces, claiming that they are stationed in Port Sudan, Wadi Saydna, and other areas under army control.

Radio Dabanga has approached the SAF for comment but has not received a reply at time of posting.

Nyala airport, which has served as a supply hub for the RSF, who took control of the area in April, and the 16^th Infantry Division HQ and the airport in October 2023. Since then, the SAF has carried out repeated airstrikes.

As reported by Radio Dabanga last week, the Joint Force of Armed Movements and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) claim that that they repelled an attack launched by the RSF on the North Darfur capital of El Fasher, during which “a number of foreigners were killed, including a commander of the RSF, who holds Colombian citizenship“.

As covered previously by Radio Dabanga, the UAE has reportedly suspended flights to and from Sudan as of yesterday morning, a move that comes after the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the Gulf country of supplying the RSF, with “foreign mercenaries”.