World

Add Your Photos and Video to This Story

Hijacked Sudanese plane Lands in Libya

by julianw | August 26, 2008 at 03:07 pm | 459 views | 9 comments | 29 recommendations

This is a developing story. We welcome your news, photos and videos, or comments.

BBC is reporting that Hijackers have released few passengers.

The hijackers of a Sudanese plane flown to Libya have started to free some of the women and children on board, Libyan officials say.
The Sun Air Boeing 737 was carrying some 95 passengers when it was seized shortly after taking off from the Darfur town of Nyala.
The pilot had said that some passengers had fainted after the air-conditioning failed in Libya's desert town of Kufra.
He said the hijackers were Darfur rebels but this has been denied.
The plane was on its way to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, when a man with a knife hijacked it, a Sudanese security official was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

Latest update says that plane has landed in the Tripoli and hijackers are demanding refuelling. The plane was allowed to land on humanitarian grounds after the pilot informed Air Traffic control about fuel condition. Libyan officials have left Tripoli for Koufra, a city located in the desert close to the border between Libya and Sudan for investigations.

Hijackers who forced a Sudanese airliner to land in Libya have demanded that it be refuelled so that it can fly on to Paris, Libya's state news agency Jana said today, quoting the head of the airport at Kufrah.

The plane was hijacked on Tuesday after leaving war-torn Darfur, Sudanese and Libyan authorities said.

Libya's Civil Aviation Authority said 95 passengers were on the Boeing 737/200 plane which landed at the airport at Kufrah, an oasis town in the country's southeast, Jana reported.

Update | - The plane was hijacked by ten people affiliated with the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), "one of the original Darfur rebel groups," according to Reuters.

The men who hijacked a Sudanese passenger plane to Libya are from a branch of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), one of the original Darfur rebel groups, the Arabic television channel Al Jazeera said on Wednesday.

It said the 10 hijackers were followers of Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur, whose faction refused to sign the 2006 peace agreement with the government.

To which the Sudan Liberation Movement replied:

A spokesman for the Abdel Wahed faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) on Wednesday denied the Darfur group had any role in hijacking a Sudanese passenger plane.

"We took no part in this hijacking at all. It is completely against our aims, values and objectives. We condemn this hijacking with a strong voice," spokesman Yahya al-Bashir said, speaking by telephone from Britain.

Previously | - A Sudanese plane flying from Nyala to Karthoum has been hijacked.

The plane was on its way to Khartoum, but has landed in Libya, after first trying to land in Cairo, reports say.

Aviation officials in Khartoum told the BBC the plane belonged to Sudanese airline Sun Air and there were 95 people on board.

The officials said members of a former Darfur rebel group were on the plane.

A Sudanese security official said a man with a knife had hijacked the plane, The Associated Press news agency reported.

recommend Add a comment

Rachel Nixon

flagged this story as News Wanted

at 10:50 on August 26th, 2008

I think this is an important story and would benefit from other NowPublic contributors working on it. I've flagged it as News Wanted and invite others in relevant locations to look for more evidence.

amyjudd

at 15:14 on August 26th, 2008

That is so scary. I hope nothing happens to the passengers.

politisite

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:50 on August 26th, 2008

julianw, I like this story. It's good stuff.

amyjudd

at 17:30 on August 26th, 2008

Details are still sketchy of the hijacking:

But the number of hijacker is not clear.
The plane took off from Nyala at 4:40 pm (local time) and was bound for Khartoum. 20 minutes after the departure, the pilot informed the airport of southern Darfur of the hijacking of the plan telling them he was heading to Tripoli Libya.
The Boeing was carrying some members of the Darfur Transitional Authority in charge with the implementation of Darfur Peace Agreement from Minawi group.
The Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority said intensive contacts are being held with the Libyan authorities on how to deal with the hijack issue.
Following reports that the plane was heading to Egypt but Cairo rejected to receive it, the Egyptian authorities said they had not been asked to receive the kidnapped plane.
The hijackers rejected Libyan requests that they release women and children on the flight and allow provisions onto the plane, refusing any negotiations and demanding the refueling, the official said.