Samaritan’s Purse Caravan Was Able to Land and Meet National Security

A Samaritan’s Purse humanitarian flight was hijacked on Tuesday, December 2, while attempting to supply a mobile medical unit in South Sudan. Authorities were able to meet the aircraft on the ground and take the suspect into custody without further incident.

The aircraft involved was one of the organization’s Cessna Grand Caravans that operates solely within Africa. It was slated to fly to Maiwut to supply a mobile medical unit when an armed individual gained access to the plane before departure. Only the pilot and one staff member were on board.

The pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft and divert to Wau, South Sudan, where the plane landed safely. Upon arrival, the hijacker was detained by the National Security Service of South Sudan. No major injuries were reported.

“We praise God that no one was seriously injured, and we are grateful to the security forces for their support and swift action on the ground to resolve the situation and bring a safe outcome,” read a statement from Samaritan’s Purse.

Authorities identified the suspect as Yasir Mohammed Yusuf, who is a resident of the contested Abyei Administrative Area. While investigators have yet to uncover a motive, initial reports show that Yusuf demanded to be flown to Chad once on board.

The incident isn’t Samaritan’s Purse’s first run-in with security challenges in the region. In 2017, eight staff members in Mayendit were abducted by local rebel forces before being released unharmed. More recently, in November, a separate flight carrying two tons of relief supplies from Juba crashed near Leer Airstrip, resulting in the deaths of all three crew members. The organization stated that the aircraft, operated by Nari Air, went down roughly 12 miles from its destination.

FMI: www.samaritanspurse.org