A draft United Nations report has strengthened allegations that a fleet of aging Boeing aircraft formed part of a covert supply chain delivering fighters, mercenaries, drones, and weapons to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The findings expand on an earlier Reuters investigation and place fresh scrutiny on the aircraft's role in supporting a paramilitary group accused by UN investigators of committing genocide in Darfur.
The report also raises troubling questions about hidden flight operations, cross-border logistics, and the international networks that allegedly sustained the RSF despite a long-standing UN arms embargo.
UN Experts Link Boeing Planes to RSF Arms Network Through Secret Flight Operations ¶
The draft report, prepared by the UN Panel of Experts on Sudan, concludes that investigators received reliable information from four independent sources showing that Boeing aircraft transported RSF fighters, foreign mercenaries, drones, weapons, and other military equipment into Darfur.
The panel based its findings on eyewitness accounts from Nyala, the RSF's main logistics hub, and official communications from two UN member states.
The report adds significant weight to a Reuters investigation published on July 15, which traced three aging Boeing aircraft connected to companies linked to former US Army Special Forces soldier and government contractor Steven Shaulis.
Reuters tracked the aircraft from Chad to strategic RSF-controlled locations in Sudan, Libya, and Somalia. One Boeing 737 was reportedly destroyed in May 2025 while carrying RSF fighters, although investigators initially lacked evidence about what cargo the planes routinely transported.
The UN report fills many of those gaps.
According to investigators, the aircraft moved military supplies through an air corridor connecting Chad's capital, N'Djamena, with Nyala in western Sudan.
The panel also found suspicious flight patterns.
Although three Boeing 727 aircraft arrived in Chad in late 2024, investigators found no official flight records showing their movements afterward.
Instead, they believe the aircraft deliberately avoided detection while flying.
Reuters independently reached a similar conclusion after using satellite imagery, mobile phone data, and open-source video evidence to trace flights that never appeared on commercial aircraft tracking systems.
Aircraft Supply Chain Raises Serious Questions ¶
The investigation identifies three Boeing 727 aircraft central to the alleged network.
Aircraft Details Findings Origin One aircraft purchased in Brazil, two acquired from Kalitta Charters II in Michigan Ownership Linked to Contractor Airways, partly owned by Steven Shaulis and Craig Munro Operating Base Military section of N'Djamena Airport, Chad Alleged Cargo Fighters, mercenaries, drones, weapons, military equipment Destination Nyala, Darfur, and RSF logistics hubs in Libya
Alleged Boeing Supply Route ¶
Brazil / United States │ ▼ Contractor Airways │ ▼ N'Djamena Military Airport (Chad) │ Secret Night Flights │ ▼ Nyala Logistics Hub (Darfur) │ ▼ RSF Operations Across Sudan
Shaulis has not responded to questions regarding the UN report and previously declined to answer Reuters' inquiries about his companies or the aircraft.
Craig Munro has denied that Contractor Airways had any links to the RSF and disputed reports that the aircraft landed in Nyala or Libya.
Meanwhile, Chad's Civil Aviation Authority stated that none of the Boeing aircraft had authorization to operate from Chad. Officials also stressed that military aviation falls outside the agency's control.
Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul maintained that Chad's involvement in Sudan's conflict remains limited to diplomatic efforts.
Colombian Mercenaries and Foreign Contractors Deepen the Conflict ¶
The draft UN report goes beyond aircraft movements.
Investigators also documented what they describe as credible evidence showing that between 1,500 and 2,000 Colombian mercenaries supported RSF military operations.
The mercenaries, known as the Desert Wolves, reportedly established a base in Nyala in March 2025 after being recruited by UAE-based Global Security Services Group (GSSG).
According to the report, they operated drones, advised commanders, and participated in planning military operations during the siege and eventual capture of al-Fashir in October 2025.
The offensive ended in mass killings, widespread sexual violence, and child abductions.
The United Nations has previously described the violence committed during the assault as genocide.
Estimated Foreign Support to the RSF ¶
Category UN Findings Colombian mercenaries 1,500–2,000 fighters Main recruitment company Global Security Services Group (UAE) Military role Drone operations, battlefield planning, combat support Primary deployment Nyala and al-Fashir operations
GSSG has denied involvement in mercenary activities.
A spokesperson for the UAE mission to the United Nations said authorities investigated the company and found no evidence linking it to mercenary operations in Sudan.
Colombia's government has previously apologized for the presence of Colombian mercenaries in Sudan, although its foreign ministry did not respond to Reuters' latest inquiries.
A Conflict Sustained by Hidden International Networks ¶
The latest UN findings paint a disturbing picture of how covert aviation networks and foreign military contractors may have helped sustain one of Africa's deadliest wars.
Sudan's civil war erupted in 2023 after relations collapsed between the national army and the RSF during a failed transition to civilian rule.
Since then, the conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions, and created what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The draft report now places Boeing aircraft, secret night flights, and foreign mercenary operations at the center of an expanding international investigation into alleged violations of the Darfur arms embargo.
If the Security Council endorses the findings when the report is published in September, pressure could intensify on governments, aviation companies, and private contractors whose aircraft or business networks allegedly enabled the flow of weapons and fighters into Sudan despite decades of international sanctions.
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