SOMALIA: Dead Passenger Identified In Somali Jetliner Bomb

The pilot Captain Vlatko Vodopivec

A dead passenger has been identified and six people have been arrested in relation to an explosion inside a jetliner that blew a gaping hole in the plane and forced an emergency landing last Tuesday, according to officials.

A man’s body was found in the town of Balad, 30 kilometres (about 18 miles) north of Mogadishu, according to police who said he might have been blown from the plane.

Abdullahi Abdisalam Borle is suspected to have been a suicide bomber, a senior Somali civil aviation official, who insisted on anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media. Six people have been arrested in connection with the blast after examinations of CCTV images in the airport, a senior Somali intelligence official said.

CCTV footage released by the Somali National Intelligence Agency (NISA) appears to show two airport workers inside the terminal handing the suicide bomber a laptop stuffed with explosives, according to the government spokesman.

The blast forced the Daallo Airlines plane to make an emergency landing in Somalia’s capital. The Serb pilot who landed the jetliner said he never doubted that it was caused by a bomb and described the security around the airplane at Mogadishu Airport as “zero.”

A suicide bomber was suspected to have set off the explosive inside the plane, Somali officials said Saturday. The blast sucked a male passenger out of the plane and forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing Tuesday in Somalia’s capital, they said.

The explosion happened about 15 minutes after the plane, with 75 passengers on board, took off from the airport and was at 11,000 feet (3,500 metres) ascending toward 31,000 feet.

“When we went past 10,000 feet, we switched off the fasten belts sign and the cabin crew started serving passengers,” pilot captain Vlatko Vodopivec said. “When we climbed past 11,000 feet, it exploded. At first, I thought it was a window breaking. However, we soon sensed the smell of the explosives when smoke came rushing into the cockpit.”

“All lasted very shortly,” he said. “We immediately demanded an emergency return to the airport because that was the only solution. With a heavy heart, because there the security is minimal and we had to remain there for a couple of days afterword.”

If the explosion happened at a higher altitude, the hole in the fuselage might have caused more severe structural damage, he said.

“If we were higher, the whole plane could have disintegrated after the explosion,” Vodopivec said.

Because the plane was at a lower altitude, he was able to land safely, he said. “The plane acted normally and we virtually returned normally. Engines and hydraulics worked normally.”

The pilot blamed the incident on the lack of security around the plane at Mogadishu Airport, describing the facility as chaotic.

“The security is zero. When we park there, some 20 to 30 people come to the tarmac,” said Vodopivec, a veteran pilot who has made numerous flights to the airport. “No one has a badge or those yellow vests. They enter and leave the plane, and no one knows who is who. They can put anything inside when passengers leave the aircraft.”

Somalia’s government has said it will tighten security at the airport to prevent other threats.

Somalia faces an insurgency from the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, which has carried out deadly attacks in Somalia and neighbouring countries.

Daallo Airlines, which is based in Dubai, has temporarily suspended its operations in Somalia’s capital following the incident but hopes to restart them soon, said Mohammed Ibrahim Yassin, the airline’s chief executive.

Vodopivec also highlighted additional security concerns in the Somali capital, including some planes that are struck by gunfire on approach to the airport.

“You can land at the airport only from the seaside,” he said. “On the other side of the runway is the city. Bigger planes don’t land over the city because of security concerns. Some planes landed with bullet holes in their fuselage.”

SOMALIA: Wheelchair Man Was Likely Suicide Bomber On Daallo Flight

A suicide bomber strapped into a wheelchair may have been behind the mid-flight explosion on board the Daallo Airlines plane, officials said.

The alleged bomber then detonated the bomb soon after takeoff, which blew a hole in the Airbus A321’s fuselage but couldn’t not down it.

The bomber, engulfed in flames, was believed to have been sucked out of plane. Witnesses on the ground said they saw a body fall to the ground after the blast Wednesday. The body was recovered near the town of Balad, about 20 miles from Mogadishu.

The suspected terrorist, believed to be part of the Somalia-based Islamic group known as Al-Shabaab, may have faked a disability to con his way through security checks at Mogadishu airport.

U.S. government sources said on Wednesday that initial forensic testing had detected possible traces of the explosive TNT on the aircraft. But one official cautioned that such tests have a high false-positive rate, and further tests are underway.

Daallo Airlines, which did not refer to a blast, said on its website that the “incident” that caused a hole in the fuselage happened 15 minutes into the flight.

Survivor Hassan Mohamed Nur said “I saw the passenger, a man in his early 60s, get sucked out of the plane. There was a huge bang. A big hole appeared in the side of the jet and the man disappeared through it.

“One minute he was sat in his seat, the next he was gone. He’d been sucked out of the plane.

“People were screaming. We all thought we were going to die.”

Airline CEO: Daallo CEO Says Explosive Pieces Found On Lucky Plane.

The head of Daallo AIrlines whose jetliner was damaged in an explosion shortly after takeoff from Somalia said that investigators have found what appears to be residue from explosives, though he cautioned that the findings were inconclusive.

Still, the preliminary discovery lends weight to the possibility that a bomb was to blame for the blast that tore through the Airbus 321 shortly after takeoff from the Somali capital Mogadishu.

"There's a residue, they're saying, of explosives.There's a trace," Daallo Airlines CEO Mohammed Ibrahim Yassin said during an interview at the carrier's corporate office in Dubai. "But that cannot really make 100 percent that it's a bomb," he added, saying that he expects initial findings to be released in a matter of days.

The plane's pilot, Capt. Vlatko Vodopivec, has said previously that he and others were told the explosion was caused by a bomb.

Yassin too acknowledged that a bomb could have been to blame, saying "we cannot exclude anything right now." He declined to speculate who might be responsible.

Somalia's government confirmed Thursday that a passenger who had been missing since the explosion had died. It identified him as Abdullahi Abdisalam Borle, but gave no details about how he died.

In a statement issued after a Cabinet meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed Omar Arteh said the government would tighten the airport's security to prevent security threats.

Local police have previously said residents of Balad, a town 30 kilometers (about 18 miles) north of Mogadishu, found the body of a man who might have been blown out of the Airbus 321 in the blast.

Somalia's transport minister, Ali Jama Jangali, said preliminary information from an ongoing investigation had produced what he called a "suspicious" finding, although he added that it required further investigation in collaboration with international experts.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast. Somalia faces an insurgency from the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, which has carried out deadly attacks in Somalia and neighboring countries.

The Airbus A321 was carrying 74 passengers when the explosion struck. All but four of the passengers originally had tickets with Turkish Airways and were rebooked on the Daallo flight after cancelled flights left them stranded in the Somali capital, Yassin said.

He suggested the Turkish Airlines' decision to scrap two flights may have been linked to intelligence it received about a possible security threat.

"We think, you know, Turkish airlines got a sort of security alert that they haven't passed to us," he said. He added that it is not unusual for flights in and out of Mogadishu to be cancelled at short notice.

A Turkish Airlines official said a number of flights out of Turkey were canceled this week, including on Tuesday, due to bad weather, and said there were no cancellations for security reasons. The official was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Turkish Airlines spokesman Yahya Ustun also said the cancellations were because of the weather, saying an unspecified number of flights were grounded "due to operational reasons required in the framework of bad weather conditions."

Daallo has temporarily suspended its operations in the Somali capital following Tuesday's incident but hopes to restart them soon, said Yassin, the airline's chief executive.

He described security at Mogadishu airport as "good" and multilayered, and "much better than it used to be." Authorities and the airline will nonetheless intensify security checks in the wake of Tuesday's incident, he said.

Daallo typically operates around 15 flights a week to Mogadishu from Somali and nearby international destinations.

Its flight Tuesday was operated by Hermes Airlines, which is based in Athens, Greece, under a lease agreement. Hermes officials have not commented on the incident.

Experts from Somalia and Greece are involved in the investigation into the blast.

SOMALIA: Daallo Airlines Plane Makes Emergency Landing At Mogadishu After Explosion In Mid-flight

In what is likely a flier’s worst nightmare, a passenger flight made an emergency landing at Mogadishu airport on Tuesday after an explosion soon after taking off from the Somali capital.

The commuter jet owned by the Daallo airlines was Djibouti-bound when a loud bang was heard followed by flames that lit up one side of the plane, sources say.

Images taken after the plane landed in the Aden Abdulle International airport shows a massive damage on the right side of the plane close to the engine.

According to airport officials, all the people on board, including passengers and plane’s crew, remained safe in the incident. But three of the passengers sustained injuries.

Reports from Mogadishu say that officials from the National Intelligence and Security Agency have launched an investigation on the cause of the explosion.

Privately-owned Daallo airlines is one of the small east African operators linking the Horn of Africa nation to neighbouring countries since the overthrow of the Central government in 1991.

Authorities are trying to figure out the reason for an explosion and fire that blew a gaping hole into the side of a Somali jetliner Tuesday, forcing an emergency landing at the airport on Mogadishu.

The plane made an emergency landing at Aden Abdulle Airport in Somalia's capital, with a hole that appeared shortly after the plane took off.

The Daalo Airlines flight had 74 people on board as it headed to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.

Two passengers were hurt in the incident, according to various news reports, a loud bang was heard followed by flames.

The Plane was immediately surrounded by security officials as investigations have been launched

Locals have said they saw a severely burned body fall from a passenger jet.

"It was not an explosion but a fuselage failure at 10,000 feet."

The airline, based in Dubai, did not respond to an email sent to its corporate office.

The pilot said he thinks it was a bomb. An aviation expert who looked at photographs of the hole in the fuselage said the damage was consistent with an explosive device.

"Luckily, the flight controls were not damaged so I could return and land at the airport," said pilot Vladimir Vodopivec, who was quoted by Belgrade daily Blic. "Something like this has never happened in my flight career. We lost pressure in the cabin. Thank god it ended well," the 64-year-old pilot said.

Awale Kullane, Somalia's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, who was on board the flight, said on Facebook that he "heard a loud noise and couldn't see anything but smoke for a few seconds." When visibility returned they realized "quite a chunk" of the plane was missing, he wrote.

Kullane, who was going to Djibouti to attend a conference for diplomats, also posted a video showing some passengers putting on oxygen masks inside the plane. The post was later removed from his Facebook page.

There are only two things that could have caused a hole in the plane that looks like the one in photos circulated online — a bomb or a pressurization blowout caused by a flaw or fatigue in the plane's skin, said Goglia.

The photos appear to show black soot around the aircraft skin that is peeled back, Goglia said. A pressurization blowout wouldn't create soot, but a bomb would, he said.

Another passenger, Mohamed Ali, said that he and others heard a bang before flames opened a gaping hole in the plane's side.

"I don't know if it was a bomb or an electric shock, but we heard a bang inside the plane," he said, adding he could not confirm reports that passengers had fallen from the plane.

Mohamed Hassan, a police officer in nearby Balad town, said residents had found the dead body of an old man who might have fallen from a plane. Balad is an agricultural town about 18 miles north of Mogadishu.

Somalia faces an insurgency perpetrated by the Somali Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, which is responsible for many deadly attacks across the nation.

SOMALILAND: Adventures In Somaliland

Somaliland, with marvellous beaches, breathtaking diving opportunities, scenic mountains and rich culture, is the definitive frontier of tourism. Not because it is unsafe, but because there is absolutely no tourism infrastructure and you'll feel like you are the first visitor.
Don't confuse quiet, democratic and well organised Somaliland with chaotic and violent (southern) Somalia. On most maps, it is the same, as Somaliland is not an internationally recognised country. But Somaliland, de facto independent since 1991, has managed to build the most robust democracy of the entire region and takes great pride in it.

It is this confusion with Somalia and Somaliland's lack of international funding that has so far prevented tourists from discovering the riches of the country and developers from constructing tourist resorts along its magnificent coast.

Therefore, Somaliland is the perfect destination for the adventurous backpacker, wanting to "discover" virgin lands without fellow tourists, but also willing to bring all she/he needs in the rucksack and accept low comforts. But Somali hospitality and Somaliland sights easily weigh up for these hassles.

There is little travel planning information available in books and on the web. But Lonely Planet's Africa guide includes a few pages on Somaliland worth reading, listing the following as one of the highlights of the country: "Enjoy the smug feeling of impressing your fellow travellers: 'Yes, I've been to Somaliland!'." By the way, the Lonely Planet representative visiting Somaliland was unable to hide he immediately fell in love with the country.

So while you wait for the more detailed planned afrol News travel guide to Somaliland, this "secret African travel destinations" feature should inspire you to consider some of Somaliland's main sites and adventures; to go there before everybody else will do!

Endless talks in Hargeisa
You will probably reach Somaliland through its surprisingly vibrant capital, Hargeisa, either overland from Ethiopia or by air flying for example the country's own private airliner Daallo Airlines.

Hargeisa is far from spectacular. Don't come here to see big palaces or ancient architectural pearls. Still, do dwell here to dive into the articulated and wide-spanning Somali culture in peaceful and well organised surroundings.

Getting in contact with Somalilanders - not being difficult at all, and English is quite widely spoken - you risk getting talked your head off. Somali culture is very oral and mastering poetry forms part of basic education. Both the good story and the philosophical analysis are always around the corner, and the freedom and diversity of Hargeisa also permits the deeper and meaningful discussion about hot issues.

Camels are a common sight all over Somaliland, even on the beaches

The good talk, permitting the traveller to dig deeper into Somali history, politics and culture, is best shared over a good meal in Hargeisa's many excellent restaurants. Eating out is marvellous in Hargeisa with all kinds of African and western dishes available. Visitors usually love to dine in outside restaurants where people eat delicious roasted camel meet, camel milk, fried sheep liver, all kinds of fresh seafood and other local products in the open air, under shadow-blessing trees.

If you however need a drink to engage in a good talk, Somaliland may be a good country to unhook you from this bad habit. Alcohol is prohibited in Somaliland. Nevertheless, in Hargeisa alcohol is available but not in public places. One has to buy it from the black market and drink it at home, alone.

Hargeisa also has excellent hotels, including the five-star Ambassador Hotel close to the airport and several three star hotels. Cheap hostels and guesthouses are widely available, and for longer stays, beautiful and low-priced villas are available and a recommended buy. This wealth of safe accommodation choices contributes to making Hargeisa a low-threshold destination; available for any type of traveller.

Berbera and the coast
Somaliland's third largest city, Berbera, is far smaller, but still has sufficient hotels and restaurants to offer a good infrastructure for most travellers. In addition, this port town has a more comfortable climate, fantastic beaches and a charming architecture. The somewhat sleepier town is located about 150 kilometres north-east of Hargeisa and easily and safely reached by bus, bushtaxi or air from the capital.

Berbera can boast of more history than Hargeisa, with its older Somali, Arab and British colonial architecture bearing testimony to the city's former role as a major trade port in the Gulf of Aden. Berbera was also less damaged than Hargeisa during the Somali civil war that led up to Somaliland's declaration of independence in 1991. But lack of international recognition has let the great potentials of the Berbera port crumble, with Djibouti now having taken over the role of the region's main maritime transport hub.

Kilometres of lush sandy beaches stretch out from Berbera, to the great joy of the local population, making active recreational use of them. Berbera used to be a Soviet and later US military base, and locals still remember how the Russians and Americans used every occasion to enjoy their beach. Then, the city was livelier. But remnants of these times still exist, and Berbera restaurants can still offer visitors delicious seafood and other Somali and international dishes.

Beyond Berbera, the rough adventures of Somaliland begin. Especially the westernmost coastline, in Awdal province, can easily claim a title among Africa's most spectacular landscapes and seascapes. Rugged, green cliffs, tropical beach bays, unexploited coral reefs and ancient towns and ruins - this surely will become an international tourist destination in the future!

The Awdal coast is dotted with small villages and towns, but has no major settlements or tourism infrastructure. The dirt road along the coast is a disaster, and the recommended way of travelling would be in your own boat (do however seek regular updates on the piracy situation!). Travellers should bring all kinds of provisions as only the most basic items can be bought locally. For accommodation, bring your tent or pay locals for a bed.

The best would nevertheless be to seek a guide in Berbera or in Boorama - the latter located inland with a dirt road connecting it to Zeila at the coast. A local guide will help out with language - here Somali is mostly the only language spoken - customs, contacts, transports and accommodation.

From Berbera, the first major settlement is Lughaya. Here, the beach with nearby grazing camels and the unspoilt reefs are the main attraction. Also, Lughaya is a good place to mingle with rural locals, mostly cattle nomads and farmers, to learn about the other side of Somaliland, the non-urban lifestyle that still dominates the country.

Further west, the landscape culminates in scenic cliffs, bays and beaches. Especially the smaller islands off the coast, for example Saad-Din Island, provide the best coral reefs and spectacular dives. Off course, no diving equipment rentals are available.

This breathtaking coastline ends up in Zeila (or "Seylac", on some maps). Today, the town of around 25,000 inhabitants is a mere shadow of its historic heydays, when it was capital of the Sultanate of Adal. The Sultanate was an influential power in the 9th and 10th century. Zeila again flourished as a city state and a trade and learning hub from the 14th to the 19th century. During colonial times, Zeila lost out to Djibouti port in French Somaliland and the British port in Berbera, leading to rapid decline of the town.

But the ruins of Zeila's old city can still be seen and culturally interested travellers can enjoy pondering about it and walking through the old buildings, mosques and city quarters. Basic accommodation and restaurants are available. Finally, the beaches, reefs and landscapes are tremendous. Altogether, this makes Zeila one of the most charming and recommended coastal destinations in Somaliland. Zeila is most easily reached from Hargeisa, via Boorama.

Soulseeking further inland
A Somalilander would say that, to really understand the country's culture, history and soul, you should look inland, away from the coast. Here, where generation after generation has struggled to overcome a challenging climate by small-scale farming and semi-nomadic pastoralism, the true essence of Somali culture is found.

Lucky then, that there are quite a few worthy sites, landscapes and activities for travellers in the historic inlands of Somaliland.

A "must visit" site, Las Geel, takes you way back in history, up to 7,000 years. Located some 50 kilometres outside Hargeisa, close to the Berbera road, Las Geel is the richest, most well-preserved, but least studied and least visited prehistoric rock painting site in the world. It was only discovered in 2003 and still lacks professional preservation, but can easily be visited from Hargeisa.

Deeper into the soulscapes of Somaliland, a visit to the beautiful Erigavo mountain area is truly recommended - but only if security permits it. Erigavo town (also written "Ceerigaabo") and its hinterland are closer to troubled Puntland in Somalia-proper, which makes claims to the eastern parts of Somaliland. Before travelling to the east, especially Sanaag and Sool provinces, you should contact tourism authorities in Hargeisa, asking for the current security situation! They will give you an honest answer, as their greatest concern is the security of foreigners.

If the Erigavo area is calm - which it usually is - the growing provincial town at 1800 meters altitude can be reached by plane or poor roads. Erivago is the entrance to the highest mountains in the region, reaching over 2400 metres. With the height, the climate improves and the vegetation increases. Some of the misty valleys even surprise with juniper forests.

The scenic mountain landscape and its many trails are an open invitation to trekkers looking for the unusual. In addition to some breathtaking landscapes, wildlife - while rapidly declining - is interesting and includes jackals, gazelles and baboons. Especially, Somaliland is famous for its extensive and exotic birdlife, with over 600 species known, and the mountains being the best place to observe them.

The area also has some nice challenges for mountaineering and rock climbing, including Shimbibris Mountain (2450 m, in the Surud mountain range). Of course, you will have to bring all necessary equipment as nothing is found locally. But you will be able to brag about your exotic peak bagging in Somaliland when you get home.

Make sure to get a guide knowing the area well and able to introduce you to villagers, farmers and nomads. Alternatively, if lucky, the many foreign humanitarian agency workers in Erigavo can introduce you to someone or may even invite you to join them.

In Erigavo, or anywhere else in the Somaliland countryside, there is one particularly memorable activity that can be organised, especially for the younger traveller. Spend a day or two with a typical Somali nomad group and see the men watering camels, the young lads milking and herding camels, while monkeys lead their life in the background. You can sleep in a Somali traditional hut or in the open air courtyard, where you drink milk in wooden containers, eat food in wooden spoons and talk yourself to sleep under the stars.

It doesn't get more memorable, and you couldn't get deeper into the Somali soul!

Practical advices
Somaliland is not the standard tourist destination, meaning you should plan your trip well if going outside Hargeisa and Berbera. If you want some comfort, make sure to contact Somaliland tourism authorities or local industry specialists such as Daallo Airlines before you go, asking them to tailor your trip.

If you will be backpacking through the landscapes of Somaliland, make sure to bring all you need from Hargeisa, Berbera or abroad. For example, you cannot count on getting even scuba diving equipment where you suddenly need it. Always have enough water available! And do not shy away from listening to authorities when it comes to security, as kidnappings of Westerners have occurred, especially in the east.

All travellers should consider Somaliland's tough climate as a key to travel timing. There are two rainy seasons - March to June and October to November - and unlike other travel destinations, this is the time to go. Avoid the dry season from July to September, as temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius make travelling exhausting. Anytime from December to June would be a good time.

You need a visa to go to Somaliland, which will be issued rather easily at Somaliland's Liaison Offices in Ethiopia, the UK or the US.

Now, get set for the experience of a lifetime. Have a safe journey!