Sudan’s army says it destroyed UAE plane carrying mercenaries in Nyala

August 6, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s army said on Wednesday it carried out an air strike that destroyed an Emirati aircraft carrying dozens of Colombian mercenaries as it landed in Nyala, a strategic city in the Darfur region, according to a report on state television.

The broadcast claimed the strike killed at least 40 mercenaries and destroyed shipments of weapons and equipment intended for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), its rival in a war that has devastated the country for over two years.

Sudan Tribune was unable to verify the details of the report independently. There was no immediate comment from the RSF or officials in the United Arab Emirates.

In its broadcast, the state TV station described the strike as a “blatant message” that “Sudanese autonomy is a red line” against foreign interference. The statement added that the operation establishes a “new equation of deterrence.”

The RSF captured Nyala late last year, and the army has accused it of using the city’s airport to receive foreign arms shipments and smuggle gold. According to military sources and reports from Sudan Tribune citing eyewitnesses, the RSF has converted civilian facilities in Nyala into training centres for foreign and local fighters.

The presence of foreign fighters in the conflict has been previously reported. On August 4, the Colombian newspaper “La Silla Vacía” published details about Colombian mercenaries allegedly working for the RSF in Darfur. The Sudanese army also recently released videos purporting to show deceased Colombian fighters from recent battles in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.