United Nations experts reported that Boeing 727 aircraft connected to US military contractor Steven Shaulis transported mercenaries, weapons, and drones for Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in covert flights from Chad to RSF logistics hubs in Sudan, Libya, and Somalia [1, 2, 3]. The RSF has been accused by UN investigators of genocide in the Darfur region.
The UN Panel of Experts on Sudan compiled these findings in a draft report monitoring the arms embargo on Darfur imposed since 2004. The report, submitted to the UN Security Council at the end of July 2026, states, "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" [1].
Steven Shaulis, a former US Army Special Forces soldier and longtime US government contractor, is identified as the person behind the companies operating the aircraft [1, 2, 3]. The Boeing planes deliberately avoided detection while flying their routes supporting the RSF. However, neither Shaulis nor the RSF responded to requests for comment on the report [1, 2, 3].
The conflict in Sudan began in 2023 over disputes between the army and RSF during a failed transition to civilian rule. It quickly escalated into a civil war with hundreds of thousands of deaths reported [1]. One Boeing 737 linked to Shaulis’s companies was destroyed in May 2025 while carrying RSF fighters [1, 2, 3].
Despite the report’s findings, Shaulis and his companies have not been sanctioned or publicly accused of wrongdoing by any authorities [1, 2, 3]. The UN Panel expects to officially publish the final report on these arms embargo violations and aircraft operations in September 2026 [1, 2, 3].
