Here's a story that reads like a spy thriller, but it's real: Boeing aircraft tied to a U.S. government contractor have been implicated in ferrying drones, weapons, and mercenaries for Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to United Nations experts.
A soon-to-be-published UN report, cited by Reuters on Wednesday, details how Boeing 727 aircraft linked to Steven Shaulis, a U.S. government contractor, appeared in Chad in November 2024, operating from the military apron of N'Djamena's airport. The planes were reportedly acquired by Shaulis-owned Contractor Airways, based in South Africa, from Kalitta Charters II (a Michigan cargo operator) and one from Brazil. Since arriving in Chad, the aircraft didn't log any movement—a tactic Kalitta's lawyers suggested could be to "avoid detection."
The UN report states: "The RSF utilized the N'Djamena-Nyala air corridor to transport fighters, foreign mercenaries, and military equipment, including drones and weapons, into Darfur." Chad's aviation authorities said the aircraft had no authorization to operate there.
Shaulis is a former U.S. military veteran and serves as an executive director and co-founder of Singapore-based CADG, which has earned over $419 million from U.S. taxpayers through government contracts, according to a Reuters report from July 15. He was also linked to a Boeing 737 that was destroyed last year while reportedly carrying RSF personnel.
Sudan has been embroiled in civil war since 2023, with the internationally recognized government battling the RSF for control. UN experts have accused the RSF of committing genocide in the Darfur region.
Boeing and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
