South Sudan’s Leader’s Passport Recovered After 1993 Crash

A Kenyan family on Sunday handed over a passport belonging to South Sudan President Salva Kiir, which got lost in a 1993 plane crash.

The travel document had been safely kept by the family for 30 years – along with those belonging to other passengers who were on board the plane that crashed in Kenya’s north-western Baringo County.

The family in Sawmill village had also collected President Kiir’s armlets from the scene of the accident.

South Sudan Presidential Affairs Minister Barnaba Benjamin led a delegation that received Mr Kiir’s travel documents and armlets at a ceremony attended by villagers.

At the time of the crash, Mr Kiir was the chief of general staff of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).

Onboard the plane were five other people including the pilot, Mr Kiir’s bodyguard, two Norwegian medics and a British national, who is said to have died on the spot.

Villagers rescued survivors who were trapped in the debris and organised for their transportation to the hospital.

As part of its appreciation, the South Sudan’s government said it will build a modern hospital in the area, which will be named after President Kiir.

The crash site will also be a part of South Sudan’s heritage and will be transformed into a tourist attraction.

Source: BBC