At around 04:00 in the Malha region of North Darfur, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) mistakenly shot down a cargo plane, believing it was a bomber operated by the Sudanese military.
The RSF fighters celebrated what they thought was a successful strike against an Antonov aircraft used in air raids, unaware that the plane was actually part of a UAE-backed supply mission intended to support their own forces.
Ali Rizkallah, a key RSF commander in the region, appeared in a video at the crash site, claiming they had used “guided missiles” to destroy an “Egyptian Antonov,” echoing recent allegations made by RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo against Egypt’s involvement in the conflict.
However, the wreckage revealed the downed aircraft was an Ilyushin-76, a transport plane, and not a bomber.Documents retrieved from the site showed that one of the crew members worked for a UAE-based aviation company, “Airline Transport Incorporation FZC,” which has connections to Kyrgyzstan.
Another crew member carried a Russian passport. The crew did not survive, and the crash left a large impact crater, with the plane mostly incinerated.
Investigations by Conflict Observatory, a research body funded by the U.S. State Department, revealed that this cargo plane was part of a broader airlift operation organized by the UAE.
While the UAE has claimed these missions were for humanitarian purposes, multiple sources, including the UN and other experts, have indicated that military supplies were being transported to the RSF, violating a long-standing arms embargo imposed on Darfur.
Conflict Observatory identified at least seven cargo flights between the UAE and Chad’s Amdjarass Airport, alongside 35 additional unidentified flights.
The same airlines have been linked to past arms deliveries to other conflict zones, such as Libya, raising concerns about the UAE’s role in the Darfur conflict.
The RSF fighters who shot down the plane were likely unaware of these covert operations, as their focus was on Sudanese Air Force warplanes frequently attacking North Darfur.
The ongoing war between the RSF and the Sudanese military, which erupted in April 2023, has devastated Sudan, causing widespread displacement, economic collapse, and pushing parts of the country towards famine.