Sudanese Air Force shoots down UAE aircraft carrying at least 40 people

The UAE authorities have banned Sudan Airways flights from landing at UAE airports.

On the same day, the Sudanese Air Force destroyed an Emirati aircraft carrying Colombian mercenaries in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State in western Sudan, killing dozens of mercenaries.

According to reports citing sources within the Sudanese military, the aircraft took off from an airbase in the Gulf region, carrying at least 40 people, with the aim of transporting personnel and equipment for the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces. The intelligence department of the Sudanese Armed Forces monitored the aircraft's movements in real time and immediately launched an attack after it landed at Nyala International Airport.

The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces and the United Arab Emirates have not yet responded to the reports.

On April 15, 2023, armed conflict erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan Rapid Support Forces in the capital Khartoum, with the fighting later spreading to other regions. Over the years, the Sudanese government has repeatedly accused the UAE of supporting the Sudan Rapid Support Forces by providing them with weapons and funds, claims the UAE has denied.

In May this year, the Sudanese Security and Defense Council issued a statement announcing the severance of diplomatic relations with the UAE and the withdrawal of its diplomatic mission from the UAE. On August 4, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement accusing the UAE of recruiting and funding Colombian mercenaries to fight for the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces against the Sudanese Armed Forces. The UAE denied these allegations.

On the 6th, the Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority issued a statement saying that UAE authorities had banned Sudan Airways flights from landing at UAE airports.

The statement said that the UAE had also banned a Sudan Airways passenger aircraft from taking off from Abu Dhabi Airport on the same day. The Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority expressed surprise at the development, is closely monitoring the situation, and is communicating with the airline to rearrange accommodations for passengers who had booked tickets for the affected flights. A source from Sudan Airways stated that the UAE authorities cited non-compliance with operational standards as the reason for the ban, which resulted in the cancellation of multiple flights scheduled to depart from Port Sudan Airport to the UAE on the same day.