RSF Weapons Trail: Sorting Facts from Claims — and Why Kenya’s Name is in the Crossfire

Here’s the gist: RSF weapons trail: JKIA RSF weapons — facts, claims and why Kenya is named

Over the past week, headlines claimed Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was used to move weapons and drones to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). That allegation — widely amplified on social platforms and some regional outlets — is serious. But after reviewing UN Security Council filings, panels of experts updates, and major OSINT investigations, there is no publicly available UN document that definitively links JKIA to RSF arms transfers.

The backstory: how the RSF has been supplied

Sudan’s war since April 2023 has featured a steady rise in RSF aerial capability and repeated findings that foreign-sourced drones and munitions have reached RSF-controlled areas. Independent researchers and outlets have documented Chinese-style UAVs and long-range drones operating from RSF bases — details verified by satellite imagery and field reports.

Where the Kenya/JKIA claim came from

A high-profile OSINT investigation and regional reporting flagged Kenyan-labelled ammunition crates found in an alleged RSF depot; Bellingcat and Kenyan media published images and geolocation analysis that prompted regional headlines. Those discoveries — and Sudan’s army statements accusing Kenya of being a conduit — likely sparked the follow-on claims that named JKIA specifically. But identifying labelled crates in Sudan is not the same as a public UN finding that JKIA was used as an arms stopover.

What is verifiable right now

• Bellingcat and partner reporting identified Kenyan-labelled ammunition crates in footage from an RSF-captured depot; independent verification of crate contents was limited in publicly shared material.

• Open-source investigators (including Yale Humanitarian Research Lab) have verified the presence and use of drones and destruction of aircraft at RSF-held Nyala Airport — a documented node in the RSF supply and strike chain.

• Multiple governments and media outlets have reported allegations and responses; Kenya’s official line has consistently denied supplying arms and called the claims baseless.

What 99Pluz could not verify (yet)

A publicly published UN Panel of Experts report or Security Council document that names JKIA or provides chain-of-custody proof linking Kenyan flights to RSF arms.

(We checked UN filings including Panel reports and did not find a public document that makes that specific link.)

Why this matters beyond headlines

Allegations that a major regional hub like JKIA served as a conduit for weapons have instant diplomatic consequences: trade bans, sanctions talk, and reputational damage. Kenya’s regional role as a mediator and host for talks means these claims — true or false — can reshape diplomacy and public trust fast. In the information wars around Sudan, naming a country is weaponized political theatre.

The larger weapons ecosystem (what the facts point to)

The RSF’s war machine appears sustained by a multi-border logistics chain: private air cargo operators, re-routing through third-country hubs, and networks that blur military and civilian transfers. Verified drone deployments at Nyala and evidence of foreign-made munitions suggest the flow runs deeper than one airport or single state. That complexity means investigators must trace manifests, insurance papers, and multi-leg flight patterns — not social clips alone.

What 99Pluz is doing (and what readers should watch for)

• We are tracing: the next UN Panel of Experts release and annexes; flight-data records for cargo operators flagged in OSINT investigations; and official statements from Kenya’s government and international aviation bodies.

• Readers should watch for: public UN documentation naming specific routes or airports; court or sanction actions; and verified chain-of-custody evidence for munitions. Until then, treat the JKIA claim as an allegation — not settled fact.

Let’s be honest — naming a country in a weapons trail story can shift policy overnight. That power requires proof. The RSF is real and its supply chains are real; but the leap from labelled crates or leaked drafts to a confirmed UN finding about JKIA is still unproven in public records.

Conversations should demand evidence, not just volume.

Because when facts are thin and stakes are high, accountability starts with verification.