Gunman hijacks aid plane in South Sudan, arrested after safe landing in Wau
A gunman hijacked a Samaritan's Purse medical aid flight in South Sudan, forcing hours in the air before a safe landing in Wau, where police arrested the suspect. No injuries were reported.
A gunman hijacked a small aircraft carrying medical supplies in South Sudan on Tuesday, demanding the pilot fly the plane to Chad, authorities reported.
Reports indicate that the plane touched down safely in the northern town of Wau, where security forces arrested the suspect. No injuries were reported, and an official investigation into the incident has been launched.
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The aircraft, a Cessna Grand Caravan operated by the evangelical aid organisation Samaritan's Purse, had departed from the capital, Juba, in the morning. It was en route to Maiwut county in the country's far northeast, delivering medical aid to communities in need.
South Sudanese authorities later identified the hijacker as Yasir Mohammed Yusuf, a resident of the Abyei Administrative Area, a contested oil-rich region along the border with Sudan.
According to authorities, Yasir boarded the plane before takeoff and hid in the rear cabin, taking control once the aircraft was airborne. However, the pilot managed to maintain control of the aircraft while circling South Sudan's airspace for several hours.
Eventually, he persuaded Yusuf to allow a refuelling stop in Wau. Once on the ground, police quickly apprehended the suspect, according to Santino Udol Mayen, a spokesman for Western Bahr el Ghazal state police.
The reason Yasir targeted the plane and wanted to reach Chad, a country that does not share a border with South Sudan, remains unknown.
Mayen added that Yasir had been wearing a reflective vest with the logo of a local airline, which later confirmed he was not part of their staff.
According to AP News, Melissa Strickland, a spokesperson for Samaritan's Purse, expressed gratitude for the prompt intervention of the authorities, describing the outcome as "safe" and thanking security forces for their swift response.
The hijacking comes just days after another incident involving the same aid group. On November 25, a Samaritan's Purse-chartered flight operated by Nari Air crashed in Unity State while transporting food supplies, killing all three crew members on board.
Officials are currently investigating the Tuesday hijacking, including how Yusuf gained access to the plane and his motives for the attack.
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