Garang crash investigators at Entebbe

Aug 12, 2005

THE international team of technical experts investigating the Ugandan presidential MI-172 helicopter crash on July 30, 2005 that killed Sudan’s First Vice-President Dr. John Garang and 12 other people has started work in Uganda.

By Alfred Wasike

THE international team of technical experts investigating the Ugandan presidential MI-172 helicopter crash on July 30, 2005 that killed Sudan’s First Vice-President Dr. John Garang and 12 other people has started work in Uganda.

“We have more than 10 technical investigators from the USA, Russia, Kenya, Sudan and of course Uganda. They arrived in the country a couple of days ago. They are based in Entebbe. We are considering whether the UN should be part of this investigation. But we have started and are doing very well,” works minister John Nasasira said yesterday.

The ill-fated VIP version helicopter flew from President Yoweri Museveni’s Rwakitura home in western Uganda via Entebbe before heading to Garang’s New Site headquarters in southern Sudan. It crashed on Saturday, July 30 at night.

Nasasira said, “Government has also appointed a leadership panel to oversee the investigations. The panel is composed of several honourable ministers like Dr. Beatrice Wabudeya, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, myself and Gen. James Kazini (former Army Commander).”

“We are waiting for Sudan to put in place their leadership panel. Meanwhile, we are working. The technical team is investigating several leads. Among other things their task is to take the black boxes to Russia for opening to trace the cause of the crash,” Nasasira said.

He declined to name the investigators. “We shall name them in a couple of days. Let them do their work first,” he said.

A black box is a device that records information about an aircraft while in-flight and is a vital part in investigating causes of mishaps or accidents involving aircraft.

Meanwhile, the seven Ugandan crew and State House staff, Col. Peter Nyakairu, Maj. Patrick Kiggundu, Capt. Paul Kiyimba, Lt. Johnson Munanura, Cpl. Hassan Kiiza, Lillian Kabeije and Samuel Bakowa were buried on Thursday in their respective homes.

Several ministers represented the Government at the funerals.

President Yoweri Museveni gave each family sh3m to help in organising the funerals.

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