Covert Boeing Network Supplied Weapons, Mercenaries to Sudanese Paramilitary: UN

Clandestine aviation networks tied to a former American military contractor have systematically supplied Sudan's Rapid Support Forces with weaponry and foreign fighters, according to a forthcoming United Nations assessment.

The draft inquiry, scheduled for publication in September, outlines a covert logistical operation using aging Boeing aircraft.

Investigators concluded these cargo flights sustained the paramilitary group currently accused of orchestrating genocide across the Darfur region.

"The Panel received reliable information from four sources that the aircraft had transported RSF fighters and mercenaries, as well as military equipment, including drones and weapons," the report noted as reported by Reuters.

Security Council experts traced this supply chain to Steven Shaulis, a former U.S. Army Special Forces operative.

Operating via South African firm Contractor Airways, Shaulis and his partners established a discrete operational hub on the military apron of Chad’s N’Djamena airport.

Evasion Tactics and Night Landings

Three Boeing 727s arrived in the Chadian capital beginning in November 2024. Following their initial arrival, all public tracking telemetry for the aircraft ceased entirely.

U.N. monitors suspect the operators took "deliberate steps to avoid detection while in flight." Ground intelligence later confirmed multiple late-night landings at Nyala, the primary military nerve center for the RSF in Darfur, throughout early 2026.

"The RSF utilized the N'Djamena-Nyala air corridor to transport fighters, foreign mercenaries, and military equipment, including drones and weapons, into Darfur," the U.N. report stated.

The fleet's operational secrecy was paramount. A separate Boeing 737 was destroyed during a May 2025 incident while reportedly carrying RSF personnel, though its exact cargo payload remained obscured.

Contractor Airways co-owner Craig Munro dismissed the allegations, claiming flight records indicating landings in Darfur and Libya were false. The Chadian Civil Aviation Authority denied granting authorization for the flights, while Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul cited defense secrecy regarding the aircraft.

Colombian Mercenary Deployments

The covert air corridor did not solely transport hardware into the combat zone.

U.N. investigators documented the systematic insertion of approximately 1,500 to 2,000 Colombian mercenaries into the theater.

Designated as the Desert Wolves, these tactical contractors established a forward operating base in Nyala by March 2025.

They subsequently piloted drones and executed strategic planning during the devastating siege of al-Fashir later that year.

A United Arab Emirates-based firm, Global Security Services Group, financed and deployed the Colombian detachment.

UAE diplomats categorically rejected these findings, asserting the security firm maintains no ties to Sudanese mercenary activities and operates strictly within international law.

Sudan’s civil conflict erupted in 2023 following a fractured transition to civilian rule.

The resulting warfare has triggered an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, characterized by mass casualties, famine, and widespread disease.