Sudan conflict: Russians fear dead after plane shot down in Sudan

The bloody power struggle between the army and the RSF began in April 2023, leading to what the UN has called one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Some estimates suggest as many as 150,000 people have died since the war began last year, according to comments made in May by US special envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello.

The UN estimates that it has also forced more than 10 million people – roughly a fifth of the population – to leave their homes.

Details about the crash and its mission are murky.

The Russian embassy in the capital, Khartoum, said it was coordinating with the Sudanese military-led government to gather more information about the crash and those on board.

According to the Sudan Tribune news website, all crew members, including three Sudanese and two Russians, died in the crash.

It cites military sources as saying it went down in the Malha area, near the border with Chad, on its way to the besieged town of el-Fasher. This has not been independently verified.

El-Fasher is the only town still under army control in the western Darfur region, and has been under attack by the RSF since April.

RSF says it has the plane’s black box and has seized documents related to the plane and its mission.

Viral footage of the alleged crash scene shows RSF soldiers with what appear to be Russian passports and ID cards next to the wreckage of the plane.

Some reports suggest a technical fault may have been responsible for the crash, but both the army and RSF say it was shot down.

Others indicate that it may have been wrongly targeted.

This is because some documents seen in circulating video footage suggest the plane was affiliated with an airline previously linked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Middle Eastern country denies allegations that it has been arming the RSF, although the UN says there is credible evidence.

New diplomatic attempts to negotiate a cessation of hostilities between rival forces in Sudan have failed to make progress.

Fierce fighting has recently intensified around Khartoum, largely controlled by the RSF, with military airstrikes intensifying in the city’s center and southern belt.