This Wednesday, the UN announced that one of its helicopters “crashed on landing” in Somalia and that the passengers may have been taken hostage by Islamic radicals from the al-Shebab movement.
The helicopter with nine passengers and crew on board “crashed on landing” about 70 kilometers southeast of Dusamareb, the capital of Galmudug state in the center of the country, according to an internal UN memo accessed by AFP.
The incident occurred in territory believed to be under al-Shabab control and the six passengers may have been taken hostage by extremist militants, “although this cannot be independently verified,” the note said.
One passenger died under unclear circumstances, and the other two managed to escape to unknown places, the department added.
The memo states that the personnel were subcontractors, not UN personnel, and refers to a person of Somali ethnicity.
The nationality of the remaining people on board is not specified.
“All United Nations flights in the area are temporarily suspended until further notice,” the UN text said.
AFP approached the Somali government for comment but did not receive a response.
In New York, asked about the incident, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that “an incident involving a helicopter commissioned by the UN occurred today in Galmudug, Somalia.”
Dujarric added that efforts were being made to rescue the passengers and crew of the plane.
“For the sake of everyone involved, we will say no more at this stage,” he said, adding that the organization intends to “resolve the issue.”
According to a separate memo sent to the UN agency in Somalia, also seen by AFP, there was a “tragic incident involving a helicopter crash” in Galmudug, but there were no UN staff on board.
Al-Shebab has been fighting against the federal government of Somalia for more than 16 years, enjoys the support of the international community and has been on the US list of terrorist groups and organizations since 2008.
Driven out of major cities in 2011-2012, the movement remains established in vast rural areas in the center and south of the country, from where it regularly launches attacks on security, political and civilian targets.
In August 2023, the government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud launched a large-scale offensive supported by the US army and African Union (Atmis) forces present in the country, which has now been stopped after recapturing territory in central Somalia.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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