Lead

United Nations experts have found that Boeing 727s linked to a U.S. military contractor's business network transported mercenaries, weapons, and drones for Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to a draft UN report due to be published in September. The findings, reviewed by Reuters, provide additional details about the role the aircraft played in supporting the paramilitary force, which UN investigators have accused of committing genocide in Darfur.

Coverage comparison

Two outlets—TASS and The Hindu—reported on the draft report, each highlighting different aspects of the findings. TASS emphasized the delivery of weapons and mercenaries through Chad, while The Hindu focused on the involvement of a U.S. military contractor and the broader humanitarian context of Sudan's civil war.

Both outlets quoted the report's key line: "The Panel received reliable information from four sources that the aircraft had transported RSF fighters and mercenaries, as well as equipment, including drones and weapons." However, the depth of detail varied, with The Hindu providing more extensive context on the conflict's origins and impact.

Key claims

The draft report, compiled by the UN Panel of Experts on the Sudan, states that three Boeing 727s arrived in Chad in November 2024 and operated out of the military apron of N'Djamena's airport. The planes' movements were not recorded by tracking systems, with the UN believing they took "deliberate steps to avoid detection while in flight." Between January and July 2026, multiple Boeing 727s and some Ilyushin II-76 transport planes made night landings in Nyala, the RSF's main military and logistics hub in Darfur.

The aircraft were operated by companies linked to Steven Shaulis, a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier and longtime U.S. government contractor, according to a Reuters investigation published on July 15 that traced the planes from Chad to logistics hubs used by the RSF in Sudan, Libya, and Somalia. Reuters reported that one plane—a Boeing 737—had RSF fighters onboard when it was destroyed in May 2025, but much about the planes' cargo remained a mystery. The news agency found no evidence that Shaulis or his companies had been sanctioned or accused of wrongdoing by authorities. Shaulis did not respond to questions about the UN report, and the RSF did not respond to comment requests.

The UN experts found reliable the estimate that between 1,500 and 2,000 Colombian mercenaries fought on the side of the RSF. These mercenaries, known as the Desert Wolves, set up a base in Nyala in March 2025 and fought alongside RSF forces, operating drones and participating in planning during the siege and capture of the Darfur city of al-Fashir in October 2025. According to the report, the mercenaries were hired by Global Security Services Group, a company registered in the UAE. The UAE said it had checked the company's activities and found no links to the mercenaries in Sudan.

Chad's Civil Aviation Authority said none of the Boeings had authorization to operate from Chad, adding that it did not manage military aviation nor provide services responsible for tracking flight movements. Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul said questions about the planes were subject to defense secrecy, adding that Chad's only involvement in Sudan's war was through "diplomatic efforts to restore peace."

The draft report has been submitted to the UN Security Council for consideration, with publication of the final version expected in September. The Panel of Experts on the Sudan is a group mandated by the Security Council to monitor an arms embargo imposed on Darfur in 2004.

Context

Sudan's civil war started in 2023 when leaders of the army and the RSF fell out over plans to integrate their forces during a failed transition to civilian government. The death toll since is estimated in the hundreds of thousands, and the fighting has worsened famine and disease, creating what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.