Sudan has been locked in a war between its army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, with the military long accusing Abu Dhabi of supporting the RSF -- an allegation it denies.
On Wednesday, army-aligned state TV said Sudan's air force struck an Emirati plane as it landed at an RSF-controlled airport in the war-torn Darfur region, killing 40 Colombian soldiers for hire.
A UAE official told AFP that the "unfounded allegations" were "entirely false" and not supported by any evidence.
The official dismissed the latest claims as part of Sudan's "ongoing campaign of disinformation and deflection".
A Sudanese military source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, had said the plane "was bombed and completely destroyed" at Darfur's Nyala airport.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his government was trying to find out how many Colombians died in the attack, adding: "We will see if we can bring their bodies back."
Sudan had accused the UAE earlier this week of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight against the army on behalf of the RSF.
State TV said the plane had taken off from an airbase in the Gulf, carrying dozens of foreign fighters and military equipment intended for the RSF, which controls nearly all of Darfur.
Nyala airport has recently come under repeated air strikes by the Sudanese army.
- Foreign fighters at displacement camp -
The army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has accused the UAE of supplying advanced weaponry, including drones, to the RSF via the airport.
Abu Dhabi denies the accusations, despite numerous reports of its involvement from UN experts, US political officials and international organisations.
Reports of Colombian fighters in Darfur date back to late 2024 and have been deemed credible by UN experts.
In recent days, a pro-army coalition in Darfur known as the Joint Forces reported the presence of more than 80 Colombian mercenaries involved in RSF operations in El-Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur state.
Some of the foreign fighters, the group said, were killed during the RSF's latest failed assault on the city.
Recent videos published by the army show mercenaries at a location that a spokesman identified as the Zamzam displacement camp near El-Fasher.
"Civilians in areas near Zamzam have reported their belongings and vehicles stolen by mercenaries," camp spokesman Mohamed Khamis Douda told AFP via satellite connection to circumvent a communications blackout.
AFP could not independently verify the videos.
- External actors -
In May, Sudan's army-aligned government officially declared the UAE an "aggressor state", severing all diplomatic relations.
The UAE responded by stating that the internationally-recognised Sudanese government "does not represent the legitimate government" of the country.
On Wednesday, Sudan's civil aviation authority claimed the UAE had imposed a ban on Sudanese planes from landing at Emirati airports and blocked a Sudanese airliner from taking off from Abu Dhabi.
The UAE has not publicly responded to the reported flight ban.
Last month, the latest US attempt to chart a way out of the conflict broke down as Egypt and the UAE, seen as key external players, disagreed on the role the warring parties would play in a potential peace process.
Sudan's newly appointed Prime Minister Kamil Idris travelled to Cairo on Thursday -- his first official foreign trip since taking office.
In a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, Idris said there was "consensus" between the two countries on key regional and international issues.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who also met Idris, reiterated Egypt's "steadfast support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sudan".
Sudan is now effectively split, with the army in control of the north, east and centre, and the RSF dominating nearly all of Darfur in the west as well as parts of the south.
Both sides have faced claims of war crimes during the conflict, which has killed tens of thousands and created what the UN describes as the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.
Sudan's PM in Egypt on first foreign visit
Cairo (AFP) Aug 7, 2025 -
Sudan's Prime Minister Kamil Idris arrived in Cairo on Thursday morning for his first foreign visit since assuming office in May, as his country's army remains gripped by a brutal war with paramilitaries.
Idris, a career diplomat and former UN official, held talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
During the meeting, Sisi reaffirmed "Egypt's steadfast position supporting the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sudan", the statement said.
Egypt has backed Sudan's military leadership since war erupted in April 2023, when a tenuous alliance between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) collapsed.
The RSF swiftly seized large parts of Khartoum, but after months of urban warfare, the army recaptured the capital in March this year.
Sudan is now effectively split, with the army in control of the north, east and centre, while the RSF dominates nearly all of Darfur and parts of the south.
Idris also met with his Egyptian counterpart Moustafa Madbouly on Thursday.
At a press conference after the meeting, the Sudanese prime minister said there is "consensus" between Egypt and Sudan on key regional and international issues.
Sudan's conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and created what the United Nations describes as the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have so far yielded little.
A recent ministerial meeting in Washington -- involving the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt -- stalled after Cairo and Abu Dhabi disagreed on the role the warring parties would play in a potential peace process, two diplomatic sources told AFP.
While Egypt remains a key ally of the Sudanese army, the United Arab Emirates -- a close partner of Cairo -- has been widely accused of backing the RSF, allegedly supplying weapons in violation of a UN arms embargo on Darfur. Abu Dhabi has denied the allegations.
The RSF has been working to establish a rival administration in western Sudan -- a move the United Nations warned could deepen divisions in the already fractured country.
Critics meanwhile say the new civilian-led government under Idris risks serving as a facade for continued military rule.
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