Zambia delays RSA plane due to "confusion" over presence of officers onboard
The South African National Defence Force [SANDF] says it is unlikely that one of its chartered flights was held back in Zambia yesterday over fears of mercenary activity.
An aircraft full of South African soldiers, among them high-ranking officials, was delayed for over two hours at a Lusaka air base. It is believed airport officials became suspicious when they discovered uniformed officers on the plane, even though the trip was classified as a business visit. The SANDF's (John Rolf) says it appears Zambian authorities were sceptical about why the soldiers were in the country.
[Rolf - recording] The Zambian authorities thought it was a business trip, and when the aircraft stopped to refuel, the door was open, and they saw uniformed personnel. This obviously caused some sort of concern. It was merely a confusion, and obviously a concern, with, you know, unexpectedly seeing uniformed personnel on board an aircraft. [End of recording]
(Rolf) says the plane was en route to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, to deliver good will Christmas gifts to SANDF soldiers stationed there.
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08 Décembre 2004 à 18:33 dans
- zsandf (anglais)
