2025 IBM Airlines Boeing 737 incident

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2025 IBM Airlines Boeing 737 incident
5Y-CKD Boeing B737-290 IBM Airlines.jpg
5Y-CKD, the aircraft involved, seen in 2024
Occurrence
Date3 May 2025 (2025-05-03)
SummaryDestroyed by the Sudanese Armed Forces; shot down or bombed [1] [2]
Site Nyala Airport, Nyala, Sudan
12°03′13″N024°57′22″E / 12.05361°N 24.95611°E / 12.05361; 24.95611
Aircraft
Aircraft type Boeing 737-290C Advanced [a]
OperatorIBM Airlines
Registration 5Y-CKD
Flight origin Wau Airport, Wau, South Sudan [3]
Destination Nyala Airport, Nyala, Sudan
Occupants20 [4]
Passengers18
Crew2
Fatalities20
Survivors0

On 3 May 2025, a cargo Boeing 737-290C Advanced operated by IBM Airlines was destroyed at Nyala Airport by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) during the Sudanese civil war. It was destroyed due to suspicions of carrying military weapons and supplies to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). All 20 occupants on board the aircraft were killed. [3] [4] Sources disagree on if it was a bombing or a shootdown. [1] [2]

Contents

Background

Political situation

Since 15 April 2023, a civil war has broken out in Sudan between the SAF and the paramilitary RSF. [5]

Airline

IBM Airlines is a cargo airline in Kenya. A businessman of Somalian origin is solely associated with the airline. There is not much information available on this airline. It did not comment on the incident. [1]

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-290C Advanced and the aircraft registration was 5Y-CKD. It was manufactured in 1981, and IBM Airlines acquired the aircraft on 14 March 2024. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) had banned the aircraft from operating in Kenya for unknown reasons. [1] It was the only aircraft operated by the airline. [3]

Passengers and crew

There were 20 occupants on board the aircraft. [4]

Incident

The aircraft started operations at Wau Airport. [1] [3] The aircraft was suspected of carrying military weapons and supplies to the RSF. [1] [2] [11] Nyala is controlled by the RSF which uses the airport at the city to transport military equipment. [10] [11] One article by the Daily Nation claims the aircraft was bombed by the SAF. [2] However, other articles by the Daily Nation say it was hit by artillery and shot down by the SAF as it prepared to land at the airport. [1] [6] One source just said it was destroyed at the airport by the SAF. [3] Majority of the sources say the aircraft was shot down by the SAF due to suspicions of it supplying the RSF. [1] [6] [7] [8] In the end, all 20 occupants on board the aircraft were killed. [4]

Aftermath

This incident has increased suspicions of Kenya supporting and supplying the RSF. [2] Sudan's Vice President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Malik Agar had previously sent a letter on 14 March 2025, which accused Kenyan President William Ruto of supporting the RSF. [1] [12]

The Government of Kenya has been accused of destabilizing Sudan by supporting the RSF. [9] It has also been accused of trading gold with the RSF and of doing secret business dealings with RSF commander Hemedti. [7] The Kenyan government had on multiple occasions hosted Hemedti at State House. [1]

Kenya's Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, the government's spokesperson, and Kenyan officials have remained silent on Captain Nyamodi's death. [7] [9]

Kenya's government did establish an investigation team following reports of this incident. It has been assigned with reviewing accident reports about registered or operated Kenyan aircraft in South Sudan and Somalia. [13] [14]

After South Sudanese pilot Ohide was killed in the incident, South Sudanese's officials issued warnings to citizens to not join the civil war in Sudan. The South Sudan government did not comment on why Ohide flew into a conflict zone. [10] The Sudanese Deputy Head of Mission to South Sudan, Mubarak Mahgoub Musa addressed reports of Ohide's death by saying "Indeed, it is something reported in the media, but we do not have any confirmed information from the Sudanese authorities. We sincerely do not wish for such events to occur, nor do we want any citizens of South Sudan to be involved in this war." [15] Ohide's body has not been recovered. [11]

Nyamodi's body was moved to Chad and then repatriated back to Kenya. [1] His requiem mass was held at St. Francis ACK Church. His brother Paul Nyamodi read his tribute at the requiem mass. Kenyan politician Raphael Tuju was an old friend of Nyamodi and spoke at a memorial service for him in Nairobi. [6] Kenyan MP Samuel Atandi went to the home of the family of Nyamodi to condole and express sympathy with his death. [16]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Some sources falsely claim that the aircraft type was a Boeing 727.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Kenyan pilot whose plane was shot down by Sudan army had past run-ins with authoritie". archive.today. Daily Nation. 12 May 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Yambo, Mike; Macharia, Jackline; Gonzales, Carlos (16 June 2025). "Exposed: Kenya's arms in Sudan war". Daily Nation.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Domink Sipinski (28 May 2025). "Only B737 of Kenya's IBM Airlines destroyed in Sudan". ch-aviation.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Sowek, Mercy (1 August 2025). "Kenyan Engineer Killed in South Sudan Ambush, Search for Missing Colleagues Underway". Kenyans.co.ke.
  5. ↑ "100 days of conflict in Sudan: A timeline". Al Jazeera. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ogetta, Daniel (14 May 2025). "Kenyan pilot's final words before plane was shot down in Sudan". archive.today. Daily Nation.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Githinji, Grace (12 May 2025). "Kenyan Government Silent After Pilot Killed in Sudan's RSF". Kiambu.tv.
  8. 1 2 Tonui, Patricia (17 May 2025). "George Nyamodi: 5 touching photos of Kenyan pilot shot down in Sudan". Tuko. msn.
  9. 1 2 3 "Kenya Pilot George Nyamondi Dies In Sudan After Sudan Army Shot Down His Plane Transporting Dangerous Weapons To RSF Rebels". City News. 12 May 2025. Archived from the original on 30 August 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. 1 2 3 "South Sudan warns nationals against involvement in Sudan war after pilot death". Sudan Tribune. 6 May 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "South Sudanese pilot killed in SAF airstrike on RSF-operated airport". Sudans Post. 5 May 2025.
  12. ↑ Mwere, David (23 April 2025). "Parliament confirms receipt of Sudan letter protesting Ruto interference". Daily Nation. msn.
  13. ↑ WANAMBISI, LABAN (May 17, 2025). "Kenya forms team to investigate aircraft accidents in South Sudan and Somalia". Hiiraan Online.
  14. ↑ Reporter, Staff (May 19, 2025). "Kenya Forms Investigative Team to Probe Plane Crashes in South Sudan and Somalia". Kaab Tv.
  15. ↑ Deng, Simon (May 6, 2025). "Oil Resumption to Strengthen Bilateral Ties between Two Countries, Says Sudanese Envoy". The Dawn.
  16. ↑ Tonui, Patricia; Omondi, Asher (17 May 2025). "Samuel Atandi Consoles Family of Kenyan Pilot Whose Plane Was Shot Down in Sudan". Tuko.
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