UAE Denies 'False' Claim That Sudan Destroyed Emirati Plane Carrying Mercenaries

The United Arab Emirates rejected on Thursday an announcement from Sudan's armed forces a day earlier saying they had destroyed an Emirati plane carrying Colombian mercenaries, killing at least 40.

In a statement, a UAE official called these allegations "unfounded", saying that they are "entirely false, lack any evidentiary basis, and represent a continuation of the Authority's ongoing campaign of disinformation and deflection".

Sudanese state TV claimed the aircraft had taken off from an airbase in the Gulf, carrying dozens of foreign fighters and military equipment intended for the RSF (Rapid Security Forces), which controls nearly all of Darfur.

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Late Wednesday, a military source, on the condition of anonymity, said to AFP that the UAE plane "was bombed and completely destroyed" at Darfur's Nyala airport.

The UAE official doubled down on the rejection by adding that it was "particularly significant" that one of the "warring parties" is making these allegations and "has every incentive to manipulate the narrative to secure its vested interests".

Following the Sudanese claim on Wednesday, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro said his government was trying to find out how many Colombians died in the attack. "We will see if we can bring their bodies back," he wrote on social media platform X.

The UAE has repeatedly refuted Sudanese Port Authority claims that the Emirati nation hires Colombian mercenaries to fight against the government-aligned army on behalf of the Rapid Support Forces.

Earlier this week, the UAE categorically denied allegations made by the Port Sudan Authority of any involvement in the ongoing civil conflict in Sudan or support for armed groups or factions, calling it a "PR stunt".

In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa) said that these claims are "baseless allegations, entirely devoid of evidence" and "are nothing more than feeble media stunts".

(With inputs from AFP)

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