Twitter screenshot (X)
A screenshot of the video showing the final moments before the plane crash that killed the Malian lieutenant colonel on Saturday.
INTERNATIONAL – An embarrassing announcement. This Wednesday, September 27, the junta ruling Mali finally mentioned the loss of a lieutenant colonel who, according to relatives, was killed on board the plane that crashed in Gao on Saturday, leaving a high but unknown number of victims.
Completely silent since the events, the Malian authorities have therefore indirectly and for the first time mentioned this plane crash through the disappearance of a high-ranking officer. But in its tribute to Lieutenant Colonel Moussa Traoré, the Malian army is careful not to specify the circumstances of his disappearance, contenting itself with saying that he died on Saturday at the age of 62 “during an ordered flight service”.
But the officer was actually on the transport plane that crashed on Saturday. Family members and a military official who spoke on condition of anonymity said there was radio silence about the tragedy.
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A video that is supposed to show the disaster has been circulating on social networks since Wednesday. During the landing phase, we see a plane resembling a Soviet Ilyushin 76 fail to stop at the end of the runway and eventually crash into a cloud of flames and smoke.
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However, the origin of the video could not be officially identified by AFP.
Connections to the Wagner Group
Various officials said on Sunday that the plane belonged to the Malian army and was carrying members of the Wagner group and that the number of people was high.
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The junta, which seized power by force in 2020, is suspected of using the services of this Russian paramilitary company in its criticized actions, while breaking with military ally France. Since then, she has also been driving forward the UN mission, which must have left the country by the end of 2023.
On the other hand, the junta denies working with Wagner and speaks of the presence of trainers from the Russian army who supported them in the fight against the jihadists. The actions of these allies are subject to the greatest discretion, but they are regularly accused of abuses.
The Malian authorities have not yet provided any information about the events in Gao. However, Lieutenant Colonel Traoré’s funeral took place on Tuesday in the presence of the Defense Minister, the Chiefs of Staff and Colonel Sadio Camara, who is considered to be close to Russia.
Lieutenant Colonel Traoré took part in several internal and external missions and received various awards, the Malian army said. He also completed training as a senior mechanical engineering technician in Russia, she said. It must be said that a certain number of Malian officers were trained in Russia.
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