This archive report was first published on 28 December 2019.
On December 27, 2019, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution extending the investigation into the death of Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold, who died in a plane crash on September 18, 1961.
Sweden, which initiated the resolution, was joined by over 100 co-sponsors in calling for the continued investigation into the circumstances surrounding Hammarskjold's death.
At the time of his death, Hammarskjold was leading a mission to southern Africa, where he was seeking to unite the Congo and prevent the secession of the mineral-rich Katanga province.
Two earlier investigations concluded that the crash was caused by pilot error, but new probes have raised questions about a possible plot, with Tanzanian lawyer Mohamed Chande Othman leading the investigation since 2014.
Othman's most recent report, published in early October, accused the United States and Britain of withholding information regarding Hammarskjold's death, stating, "South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States must be almost certain to hold important undisclosed information."
The resolution urges member states, particularly those mentioned in the report, to release any relevant records in their possession.
