A BULGARIAN HELICOPTER FORCED TO LAND IN SUDAN'S WAR-TORN SOUTH KORDOFAN PROVINCE

On 26th of January, a helicopter operated by a Bulgarian air carrier working for the UN World Food Programme (WFP) made a forced landing near the town of Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, the southern part of the Republic of Sudan. The helicopter was flying from Rumbek, Republic of South Sudan, to Khartoum, Republic of Sudan. The flight was cleared by the authorities of both Sudan and South Sudan.

Six Bulgarian nationals onboard were taken captive - three-member crew of the helicopter and three officers of the Bulgarian air carrier. They are being held by „Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North“ (SPLM-North), which is fighting against government forces in the area.

The government of Sudan has sent a military airplane to fly over the area. The airplane crew sighted the helicopter but did not notice any damage to it. According to the manager of the Bulgarian air carrier in Sudan, the six Bulgarians are safe and feeling well.

UN World Food Programme officials have contacted the Sudanese militant organization.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is keeping in constant touch with the Office of UN Secretary General, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, the leadership of the UN World Food Programme and other UN agencies which are working with the Bulgarian government and doing everything for the Bulgarian captives to be released.

BNT has spoken on the telephone with an official of the UN World Food Programme organization, which is in touch with the militants and leads the negotiations. Amor Almagro, the spokesperson of the UN World Food Programme in Sudan said that there were indications that the members of the helicopter crew were feeling well and that every possible effort was made to help for their safe release. We do not have detailed information about what happened exactly, Almagro added. She explained that the government of Sudan sent an aircraft to the place where the Bulgarian helicopter had landed.

Daniel Mitov, Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the six Bulgarians were feeling well. He explained that negotiations for the release were being conducted at the highest levels of the UN. Mitov said that it was not a question of captivity in this case. The minister explained that the UN officials engaged with the negotiations were very busy at the moment. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry were in constant touch with them, he added.

Zahari Aleksiev, Executive Director of “Heli Air Services” – the carrier operating the Bulgarian helicopter – told BNT over the phone that there was information that the helicopter crew were in good condition. He hopes there will be a positive solution to the situation. He added that his company had a contract with the UN and worked in that region. Aleksiev said that there was some progress and a statement that the Bulgarians would be released. He hopes there will be a positive outcome of the situation.

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