Ethiopian troops have admitted they mistakenly shot down a Kenyan-registered cargo aircraft in Bardale, Somalia on Monday, May 4th.
Ethiopian forces guarding Bardelle airstrip in Baidoa said they brought down the aircraft after adjudging it as a potential suicide mission due to its unusual flight towards the facility, according to a preliminary report filed by the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom).
The forces added that the crew failed to inform the base of any aircraft flying their way.
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, which demanded answers from the Somali government over the incident, has not issued a statement on the preliminary investigation report.
The Embraer 120 aircraft operated by Africa Express had been hired by a humanitarian organization to ferry medicine and medical equipment from Baidoa to Bardale.
All the six people aboard the plane, including two Kenyan pilots, an engineer, and crew members, died in the crash. The two Kenyans were identified as Captain Mabruk Islam Sherman and Omar Chiraghdin, both from Mombasa.
The aircraft had been operating in Somalia since the beginning of March 2020, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
The aircraft was about to land in Bardale town when it was hit by a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG).
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo on Tuesday phone President Kenyatta to express his regret over the incident.
