The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) has confirmed the death of five personnel following a helicopter crash in Somalia on Wednesday morning at around 07:30hrs.
The Mi-24 helicopter, tail number AUO-015, was flying from Balidogle Airbase in the Lower Shabelle region on a routine combat escort mission when it went down near Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu.
According to a statement from Maj Gen Felix Kulaigye, director of Defence Public Information, the helicopter had eight people on board, six crew members and two others.
Five of the occupants died in the crash, while the pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer survived with serious injuries and severe burns. They were evacuated to the AUSSOM Sector 1 Level II Hospital for treatment.
The crash triggered a fire, which led to the detonation of onboard munitions, causing significant damage to nearby structures and injuring three civilians.
A joint emergency response team, including firefighters from Mogadishu International Airport, the United Nations, and AUSSOM Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel was deployed to manage the situation and support rescue efforts. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.
It wants to look as if the tax payers of Uganda are paying through their nose over these sky rocketing costs of solving Pan African problems by Pan Africanists. Does this cost need to continue until Jesus comes back to earth?
You will be happy to learn that the mission is not funded by taxpayers money. So you can calm down
Are the helicopters and other military hardware in that mission also donor funded? Just asking.
donors actually compensate the Ugandan government for these missions. World over, countries, especially developing countries, lease their aircraft to the United Nations. They make good money from these leases.
Yes, Somali is Museveni’s cash cow. He is doing the dirty work of his so-called Western backers who are helping him cling onto power for life. Sincerely Museveni does not give a damn how many lives are lost.
And the people dying are from???
Now for Uganda as a poor African country trying to fight other countries wars, how much is the cost of a modern helicopter? It seems that the Uganda Army is not at all in the habit of accounting for its very expensive items in so many poxy wars it is getting involved in! It is in the recent news that Uganda is very eager to send some military assistance in the middle east to help Israel in its international efforts to stop Iran to own a minimum nuclear bomb like India and Pakistan!
“You will be happy to learn that the mission is not funded by taxpayers money. So you can calm down.” If that is the case Zowe why is the mandate of this poor African country and their dodgy political parties giving a win win situation during every national election this long serving government puts up? By feeling calm and happy for the citizens of Uganda, their very own tax money is extravagantly spent by the NRM government anywhere else as if there is no tomorrow now 40 years and counting! These sponsors of such never ending proxy wars lend Uganda money at very high interest rates as Pan African mismanagement and corruption devastate the economies of this country! What goes up comes down!
Kolya edda kada dda my calm and happy friend Zowe. You can see the spectre of modern Third world wars with the example of Israel. One believed that Israel was so fed up with the hate and devastating wars after the catastrophic First and Second world Wars. The lots of military dollars the USA camly and happily gives to Israel as American debts multiply has boxed that religious country into a real tight corner these days. It is very sad indeed!