The secret mission to fly a president's body back home - pilot speaks to the BBC
AI Summary
In 1993, two Kenyan pilots, Hussein Mohamed Anshuur and Mohamed Adan, were approached by a Nigerian diplomat with a secret mission: to transport the body of former Somali President Siad Barre from Lagos, Nigeria, to his hometown of Garbaharey in southern Somalia. Barre had died in exile in Nigeria after being overthrown in 1991. The pilots, partners in Bluebird Aviation, were asked to organize the flight discreetly, bypassing normal procedures due to the politically sensitive nature of returning Barre's body. The mission was risky, potentially causing diplomatic fallout and repercussions from the Kenyan government, as Barre's legacy was controversial and his return could destabilize fragile regional relations. The pilots debated the risks before ultimately accepting the charter.
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This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).
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