Cargo plane lands in RSF-controlled Nyala

September 21, 2024 (NYALA) – A cargo plane landed at Nyala airport in Sudan’s South Darfur region early on Saturday, two sources in the city told Sudan Tribune, raising questions about who was operating the flight and its purpose.

The western region has been under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since conflict broke out across Sudan in April between the RSF and the army.

The plane, a Russian-built Ilyushin IL-76, landed at around 3:10 a.m. (0010 GMT) and remained on the ground for about an hour and 15 minutes, one of the sources said.

It was unclear who operated the plane or what cargo it was carrying.

The Sudanese army has previously accused the United Arab Emirates of sending military aid to the RSF via Nyala airport, a charge the UAE has denied.

The army regularly bombs what it says are RSF targets in Nyala, and residents have reported numerous civilian casualties from air strikes.

Sudan Tribune could not independently verify the details of the reported plane landing.

Neither the RSF nor the Sudanese military were immediately available for comment.

(ST)