Open-source intelligence (OSINT) platforms and aviation tracking services have revealed the continuation of Emirati military airlifts allegedly supplying Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. The flights reportedly use indirect routes through Libya and Somalia, amid growing international criticism of Abu Dhabi’s role in fueling the conflict and atrocities against civilians in Darfur.
The specialized platform MenchOsint, which monitors military aviation activity, reported a significant uptick in flight frequency. It tracked three IL-76TD military cargo aircraft earlier today, identified by registration numbers EX-76003, EX-76012, and 7Q-ASY.
According to available data, the planes flew through air corridors passing Benghazi and Kufra in Libya, and Bosaso and Berbera in Somalia—routes previously linked to arms, ammunition, and mercenary transfers into Sudan’s war zones to evade direct monitoring and international restrictions.
These developments come as mounting evidence implicates the RSF in mass killings and ethnic cleansing in El Fasher and Darfur, according to UN reports, international organizations, and Western media outlets, including The Washington Post and Reuters.
The Sudanese authorities had earlier accused the UAE of financing and arming the RSF, allegations Abu Dhabi has denied, claiming instead that its support is limited to humanitarian assistance.
Observers warn that the continued air bridge poses a direct challenge to international peace efforts and raises suspicions of attempts to impose new military realities on the ground ahead of any potential negotiations.
The issue is expected to draw further scrutiny in the U.S. Congress and the European Union, amid calls for expanded sanctions and investigations into external backers of Sudan’s warring parties.
