This archive report was first published on 9 May 2020.
On Monday, a private cargo plane crashed in Berdale town, Somalia, killing five people. The incident has now been attributed to Ethiopian troops, who shot down the plane due to a lack of communication and suspicion.
According to a statement by the Ethiopian Army to the African Union, the troops defended their actions, stating that the plane failed to follow proper protocol in its attempts to access the base. The statement also claimed that the plane displayed suspicious behavior, leading soldiers to believe it was a suicide plane.
The plane, a Kenyan-registered aircraft belonging to African Express Airways, was undertaking a humanitarian mission when it crashed. The plane was delivering supplies related to the coronavirus pandemic and had initially left the Somali capital Mogadishu for Berdale.
Three Kenyans and two Somali nationals were killed in the crash. The incident has sparked calls for a joint investigation by Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya to get to the truth.
Published on May 9, 2020, in The Standard.
