DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The intrigue surrounding a cargo plane crash in Sudan, reportedly downed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), intensified on Tuesday as officials clarified that the aircraft had been de-registered in Kyrgyzstan.
Questions remain about who was piloting the Ilyushin Il-76 during its nighttime flight over the conflict-ridden region of Darfur. The aircraft has previously been linked to the UAE’s attempts to supply arms to the RSF, a claim that the UAE has vigorously denied despite contrary evidence.
The incident, which transpired early on Monday, underscores the turmoil that has engulfed Sudan since April 2023, when the RSF clashed with the national military. This conflict has resulted in more than 24,000 fatalities, displaced millions from their homes, and led to dire food shortages, with families resorting to eating grass to survive amidst worsening famine conditions across parts of the nation.
Videos surfacing online depicted RSF fighters at the site of the burning wreckage, asserting that they had shot down the plane using a surface-to-air missile. The footage also showcased identification documents, including a Russian passport and an ID tied to a UAE-based firm, though the company’s phone number was found to be disconnected.
Since the crash, the Russian Embassy in Sudan has commenced investigations into the situation. Meanwhile, a damaged safety card supposedly from the aircraft identified it as belonging to New Way Cargo based in Kyrgyzstan. However, Zuurakan Kadyrova from New Way Cargo stated that their lease on the airplane had lapsed at the end of 2023.
“We have no records regarding the aircraft since that time,” she conveyed, expressing sorrow over the incident and extending condolences to the crew and their loved ones.
According to Kyrgyzstan’s state news agency, Kabar, which referenced the Foreign Ministry, the plane was officially removed from Kyrgyzstan’s registry in January and was registered under Sudan’s authority. The agency also stated that no Kyrgyz nationals had been onboard the aircraft when it crashed.
The RSF has maintained that the downed plane was under the control of the Sudanese military and operated by various militant groups. They claimed to have secured the aircraft’s black box and critical documents revealing the plane’s operations, which they opted not to disclose.
Sudan has struggled with stability since a popular uprising led to the ousting of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir in 2019. An attempt at a democratic transition was disrupted when Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the army chief, allied with Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo of the RSF, culminating in a military coup in October 2021 followed by conflict between the factions in 2023.
Al-Bashir currently faces charges at the International Criminal Court for orchestrating a genocidal campaign in the early 2000s, particularly in Darfur, in collaboration with the Janjaweed militia, a precursor to the RSF. Authorities and humanitarian organizations have reported that the RSF and affiliated Arab militias are once again attacking ethnic African groups amid the ongoing war.
The organization Conflict Observatory, which receives funding from the U.S. State Department and monitors the Sudan conflict, has linked New Way Cargo’s Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft to supplying arms to the RSF, revealing that the firm facilitated arms transfers from the UAE through flights to Aéroport International Maréchal Idriss Deby in Amdjarass, Chad. The UAE, however, claims these flights were purposed for medical support to a local hospital.
Amdjarass is located just across the border from Malha, the site where the plane was reportedly shot down. The current situation remains murky regarding who might have taken command of the aircraft once it was in Sudan. Officials connected to Burhan’s government, who primarily operate out of Port Sudan while Khartoum remains a conflict zone, could not be reached for immediate comments.
In the broader context, over 25 million people in Sudan—approximately half the population—are currently in need of humanitarian assistance, stated the organization Save the Children on Tuesday.
“Sudanese children are enduring bombings and gunfire, only to face the risk of dying from hunger and disease,” commented Mohamed Abdiladif, the interim director for Save the Children in Sudan.
