
Several high ranking delegations were dispatched to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr festival with Sudanese troops in the two troubled states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan where the army fight against a rebellion led by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N).
Among the officials killed in the crash there was Ghazi Al-Sadiq, minister of religious affairs, Mahjoub Abdel-Rahim Toutou, state-minister for youth and sports, and Eissa Daif-Allah, state-minister for tourism.
Also died in this incident the leader of Justice Party Makki Ali Blayel who recently supported the government in its war against the SPLM-N rebels.
The list of the victims released by the official SUNA includes several military among them Salah Ismail, a major general of Sudan Air Force, Ahmed Musa Ahmed, a police major general, Ahmed Al-Tayeb Abou Groon, an influent major general from the National Intelligence and Security Services and Luqman Omer, a second commander of the Popular Defence Forces.
Sudan Civil Aviation Authority issued a statement saying the crashed plane was an Antonov AN-26 belonging to Alfa Aviation, a Sudanese private operator.
The plane exploded in the mountains surrounding Talodi airport when it was landing, the statement further said.
Sudanese officials denied that the plane crashed because of military activities.
The plane went down into the mountains because of bad weather said Ahmed Balal Osman, culture and information minister as the rainy season there continues till the end of September.
SPLM-N spokesperson Arnu Ngutulu Lodi told the AFP they had no relation with the incident pointing out, "It is a government area."
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article43631



