Four Moldovan nationals were killed on Saturday when a transport plane chartered by the French army crashed off Ivory Coast, firefighters said.
Another six people were injured in the crash of the Antonov aircraft which had 10 people on board, firefighter Colonel Issa Sakho told local television.
Four French nationals were among the injured, a French military source said, indicating that the plane had been chartered as part of the anti-jihadist Operation Barkhane.
“There were 10 people on board, Moldovan and French people. The four victims who died are Moldovan nationals,” Sakho said.
The plane had taken off from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and crash-landed in the sea near Abidjan, breaking in half, he explained.
Local forces were hoping to secure the wreck before it drifted away “so investigators can do their job”, he said.
A French military source said the Antonov was chartered as part of Barkhane, under which France maintains a 4,000-man mission in the region.
The operation aims to shore up fragile Sahel countries against jihadists who have carried out a wave of bloody bombings, shootings, and kidnappings.
The French military base in Abidjan provides logistical support for the operation which is headquartered in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. French special forces are stationed in Ouagadougou.
Every year, around 100 sorties are flown out of Abidjan airport as part of Barkhane, often by former Soviet army pilots in Ukrainian-made Antonovs.
The planes frequently carry French military personnel and sub-contractors accompanying their cargo.
There was a heavy storm over Abidjan early Saturday, but it was unclear whether the heavy weather was the cause of the accident.
France keeps around 950 military personnel in Ivory Coast as part of the FFCI force based in the biggest French army base on Africa’s Atlantic coast. Other bases are in Libreville, Gabon, and Dakar, Senegal.
One of their key missions is to extract French or other western civilians in case of trouble in Ivory Coast or neighboring countries.
Abidjan is strategically well-placed in the region as most French-speaking African countries can be reached by air in under three hours.
FOLLOW US ON:
Connect with Joshua Osagie (Blog owner)
Share this post now with others on social media. Use media options below.
WHEN ON WEB VIEW, SEE OUR TOP LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE BAR FOR LIVE STREAM NEWS CHANNELS (GLOBAL AND NIGERIAN )
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
FOLLOW US ON:
> The Forefront on Twitter
>BBM Channel: C002CB006 {WELCOME TO THE FOREFRONT
>{Instagram: the_forefront_nigeria }
Connect with Joshua Osagie (Blog owner)
Share this post now with others on social media. Use media options below.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Disclaimer!!! Opinions expressed in comments do not represent THE FOREFRONT MEDIA NG's views. All participants are entitled to their opinions. Thank you!!!
Advertise on the Forefront: For advert placement in the blog or advert posts like news updates, reach +2348124620827 [WhatsApp].
Copyright 2023 The Forefront Media Ng. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from The Forefront Media Ng