Russia is investigating reports that Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shot down a cargo plane in Darfur.
The incident, captured on mobile footage, has raised concerns about international involvement in Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
RSF fighters at the crash site displayed identity documents suggesting the aircraft was tied to an airline previously linked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which denies arming the paramilitary group despite earlier allegations.
The Russian Embassy in Khartoum confirmed that its diplomats are looking into the incident, which occurred in Malha, a region near the border with Chad.
The embassy also stated that Russians might have been on board the downed aircraft. Since April 2023, the RSF has been locked in a violent conflict with the Sudanese military, and they claimed this plane was providing military support to their opponents. The RSF alleged that the aircraft had dropped barrel bombs on civilians.
In a statement, the RSF declared, “All foreign mercenaries aboard the aircraft were eliminated in the operation.”
The group also claimed to have used a surface-to-air missile to bring down the plane. Footage from the scene showed burning wreckage along with identity documents, including a Russian passport and ID linked to a UAE-based company.
A crumpled safety card from the crash identified the plane as an Ilyushin Il-76 operated by New Way Cargo, a company from Kyrgyzstan.
The Sudanese conflict, which has claimed more than 24,000 lives, has intensified recently, with the army increasing attacks near Khartoum and allied forces clashing with the RSF in Darfur.
The conflict has its roots in Sudan’s unstable political landscape. After the 2019 ousting of long-time leader Omar al-Bashir, the country briefly moved towards democracy before a military coup in 2021.
The power struggle between Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and RSF leader Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo eventually escalated into open conflict in 2023.
