Ethiopian authorities admitted this week that they mistakenly shot down the Kenyan aid plane that crashed a few days ago in Berdale, in Somalia.

According to information relayed by Kenyan media, the incident was allegedly due to a lack of communication. The aircraft transporting medical equipment reportedly showed “suspicious behavior” while flying over the Ethiopian troop base. “When an aircraft is arriving at Berdele FOB, the usual landing direction is East-West, but the aircraft was flying from West- East to land over the base camp of Berdele, closer to the ground,” says the letter of explanation produced by the Ethiopian military.

Despite this admission of guilt, many questions remain unanswered about the exact circumstances of the tragedy. In all likelihood, the Ethiopian soldiers who shot down the aircraft were not part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and the reasons for their presence remain unclear. A joint investigation by Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia is expected to begin soon to shed light on the case.

As a reminder, the plane that departed Mogadishu for Kenya is owned by African Express Airways. Onboard were four Kenyans and two Somalis, all of whom were killed in the attack.

Moutiou Adjibi Nourou