According to Russian satellite network citing Sudanese media reports, Sudanese justice minister Nasr abdulbari nearly died in the an-12 crash of a military aircraft near the city of Geneina in the west of the country. He left the plane on business a few minutes before the plane took off.
On the evening of January 2 local time, a military aircraft an-12 crashed five minutes after taking off from Geneina airport in western Darfur province. The Sudanese military said the accident killed 18 people, including 7 crew members, 3 judges and 8 civilians, including 4 children.
According to preliminary information, all the dead were Sudanese citizens. The state media reported that 20 people checked in on the flight.
The Sudan Tribune reported that 'the Minister of justice in Geneina, who was a member of the government delegation, should have returned to Khartoum and left the plane a few minutes before taking off.'
A week ago, the tragic accident occurred against the background of the conflict between local Arab and African tribes near El Geneina. According to the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the armed confrontation killed at least 48 people and injured 241 others, including about 20 in critical condition. The Khartoum government delegation arrived in Geneina on January 2. The mission's task is to eliminate the conflict and provide humanitarian assistance. It may also plan to use the aircraft to transport the injured to the capital.