This archive report was first published on 9 May 2020.
On May 4, 2020, Ethiopian forces in Somalia shot down a Kenyan cargo plane, resulting in the deaths of six people. The incident has sparked controversy and raised questions about the presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia.
The plane, operated by the Kenyan company African Express, was flying from Mogadishu to Baidoa when it was shot down by Ethiopian forces guarding the Bardelle airstrip. The forces claimed they had mistaken the plane for a suicide attacker.
A preliminary report by the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) stated that the troops at the airstrip were unaware of any incoming civilian flight at the time. The report also noted that the plane had been flying out of its usual route and had repeatedly flown closer to the ground.
‘There was no information that the aircraft would be at Bardelle...the aircraft was flying out of usual site repeatedly closer to the ground,’ Ethiopian forces said in a statement.
‘The troops suspected that the aircraft was a suicide attacker and seeking a target to attack. Due to the above reason, the African Express Type E-120 was shot down by our force.’
The incident has raised concerns about the presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia, who are not part of the Amisom. The troops are part of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and have been deployed in Somalia since 2007.
‘The incident was performed by non-Amisom troops of Ethiopia, which will require mutual collaborative investigation team from Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya to further understand the truth,’ said a preliminary report forwarded to Amisom boss and Mozambican diplomat Francisco Madeira on May 5.
The incident has sparked a political storm in Somalia, with leaders opposing Ethiopia's ventures calling for decisive action to protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
