Guinea Takes Bold Step; In Plane Crash Saga

General Kelefa Diallo and the other fallen military officials

 I have gathered from reliable sources inside Guinea that---perhaps in response to suspicion fermenting on both sides of the border that the Guinean CASA 235 aircraft might have been brought down on February 11, by an act of sabotage--- Guinean authorities will dispatch (send) a team to Monrovia to join their Liberian counterparts in probing the cause of the plane crash in which 11 top officials of that neighboring country’s military officials were killed.

The Guinean Ambassador near Monrovia, Elhadji Abdoulaye Doré made a correction in conversation with the me Wednesday night that an official delegation of investigators WILL be dispatched to Liberia; however, their arrival will follow the conclusion of preliminary civil aviation authority investigation conducted by both countries.  

Already, an unofficial team came and returned to Guinea, after some cursory inspection of the crash-site. Their findings, as yet undisclosed, should not weigh heavily on the more serious probe still to be conducted.

Something must have been done to sabotage the mission to Liberia, is clearly gaining currency amongst pundits (individuals with special knowledge of or special interest in a given subject) as no information so far has surfaced to suggest either human or mechanical failure---the first two areas of focus when forensics must be relied on in the analysis of evidence gathered for fingering the culprit especially in the investigation of plane crashes.

The bodies were escorted to the Guinean Presidential Palace by hundreds of military personnel and civilians for the state funeral

Albeit (moreover) the United States Government has itself volunteered to help with the investigation into the tragic plane crash, Liberia’s Foreign Minister Augustine Ngafuan announced on public radio last night.

The Guinean Ambassador somewhat steered clear of any suggestion as to where these investigations might lead; he instead referenced the two black boxes recovered from the scene of the wreck, which he said will be sent to Canada for advanced analysis.

And indeed, such probes often begin with the ‘black box’ which in many ways captures (records) and by instant recall, almost paints a picture of all that went down in the cockpit before the crash---the ambience and a gradual buildup of a problem inside the cockpit, exchanges, an increase in the severity of the situation, anxiety, alarm and every relevant human response.    

Absent some human or mechanical error, focus shifts to the introduction of an external agency---the introduction of something alien to the plane. Fundamental to these analyses is the legal principle (belief, rule) res ipsa loquitur (sic): the thing speaks for itself; this theory helps to isolate the source of the problem which in turn might point a finger at the identity of its architect.

Yesterday marked day-two of national mourning in Guinea. The country’s main city, Conakry, was like a ghost town. Almost everyone was indoors, as businesses and offices all remained shut. The only people seen in the streets were those commuting between the military barracks and the presidential palace.

Guinea is observing three days of mourning for the 11 officers who died in the 7 a.m. plane crash in Liberia. At the state funeral held in Conakry Wednesday, the officers were honored by President Alpha Conde.

Dressed in either all-white, camouflage or other military uniforms, hundreds of citizens and residents accompanied the remains of General Kelefa Diallo and others from the military barracks to the presidential palace Wednesday to pay their last respect.

President Alpha Conde, sources in Conakry said, wept bitterly at the funeral yesterday. “He cried like a child. He cried so bitterly. This was the first time Guineans had seen this man in such a state of despair. Most mourners at the funeral broke down in tears, seeing their President weep so uncontrollably,” our sources said.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday night that President Conde posthumously promoted Diallo to the rank of Dignity of Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit of the Republic of Guinea. The ten other officers were named as Commanders of the National Order of Merit.

Guinea’s army chief and 10 other senior military staff were killed on Monday when their plane crashed in Charlesville, Margibi County. The delegation was on a security mission to Liberia. They were heading to Monrovia to participate in celebrations marking this year’s observance of Liberia’s Armed Forces Day.

Caskets bearing the remains of the fallen soldiers

Expressing unbridled sorrow on her behalf and that of the Liberian people, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf declared Tuesday a national day of mourning that was observed as a national holiday across the Republic.

Meanwhile, President Sirleaf Wednesday led an array of government officials to the Guinean Embassy in Monrovia to pay their last respects. At the Embassy, the President and Vice President Joseph Boakai signed the book of condolence opened at that embassy.

“All Liberians are saddened by this. We just stand by Guinea,” the President said in brief emotional remarks yesterday at the Guinean Embassy on 24th Street, Sinkor.

                                                                                       

 (With an assist from Keith Neville A. Best)