Abdirashid Ibrahim Abdirahman, presently the Director General of the Ministry of Planning of the Republic of Somaliland, was one of the first to realize that two of his dearest friends were among those lost forever to the 737 Boeing plane crash in Ethiopia.
The last he heard of Karim Safi and Pious Adesanmi, separately, was that they were to going to participate in an African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) event scheduled to be held in Nairobi within the week.
Karim was a Tunisian who has founded the African Diaspora Youth in Europe (ADYFE). Adesanmi currently headed the African Institute of the Canadian Carleton University.
“I was fortunate that Safi and Adesanmi were among a brilliant core of friends I had made during the last 15 years or so. Both were vocal, motivated and inspirational leaders who knew their role among the educated youth of Africa,” Abdirashid said in a Facebook post he posted as soon as the tragedy of ET302 dawned on the world.
Among those lost to the crash were, also, three Somalis. Abdishakur Mohamed Shahaad was the only one traveling on a Somalia passport. He worked for the Somalia Federal Prime Minister’s office.
Amina Ibrahim Odowaa and her daughter, Safia Faial Omar, 6, from Edmonton, Canada, were traveling on Canadian passports.
People of 35 nationalities died on the Boeing 737 MAX craft belonging to the Ethiopian airlines.
According to a UN statement, the international organization lost 19 staff members on the ill-fated Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302.
The Secretary-General was quick to condole.
Deeply saddened by the news this morning of the plane crash in Ethiopia, claiming the lives of all on board. My heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of all the victims — including our own @UN staff — who perished in this tragedy.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 10, 2019
Below is the list on the flight manifesto by passport held:
32 Kenyans
18 Canadians
9 Ethiopians
8 Italians
8 Chinese
8 Americans
7 British
7 France
6 Egyptians
5 Holland
4 Indians
4 Slovakia.
3 Austrians
3 Swedes
3 Russians
2 Moroccans
2 Spain
2 Poland
2 Israel
1 Belgium
1 Indonesia
1 Somalia
1 Norway
1 Serbia
1 Togo
1 Mozambique
1 Rwanda
1 Sudan
1 Uganda
1 Yemen
The video shown below is purported to be the last filmed from inside the plane before it plummeted down to the ground.
Please use discretion.
Somtribune and its staff wish to share the grief and heartbreak of families and friends who lost dear ones on the plane crash – wherever they are, conveying condolences.
