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Sudan Not to Extradite Hijackers to Ethiopia: Information Minister
Sudan will not extradite the five university students to Ethiopia who hijacked an Ethiopian military plane to Khartoum, Sudanese Information and Communication Minister Ghazi Salah al-Din Atabani said Friday.
The minister told a press conference that the hijackers would be tried in Sudan according to international laws.
The five hijackers Thursday seized the plane of the Antonov-12 military plane with grenades and pistols while it was on a domestic flight from Bahir Dar, capital of the northern state of Amhara, to Addis Ababa, international airport security officials told Xinhua.
They diverted the plane to Sudan and the plane landed safely at Khartoum international airport at 6:30 pm (1530 GMT) Thursday.
The hijackers announced that they wanted to seek political asylum abroad. After getting pledge that they would not be returned to Ethiopia, they freed all their 51 hostages unharmed and surrendered to Sudanese authorities.
Ethiopia Vows to Punish Plane Hijackers Ethiopia expressed its determination here Friday to bring to justice the five hijackers, who diverted an Ethiopian military plane to Sudan on Thursday.
An official of the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry said that the hijackers were renegade military cadets who failed aviation exams, adding, "the government would exert utmost efforts to persuade Khartoum to extradite the hijackers to Ethiopia."
The five trainee pilots seized the plane with grenades and pistols on Thursday which was carrying 51 passengers on board on a domestic flight from Bahir Dar, capital of Amhara state to Addis Ababa.
After the plane landed safely in Khartoum, the hijackers declared to seek political asylum abroad and surrendered to the local police later after releasing all passengers including 11 women and children.
The hijackers were reportedly in the custody of Sudanese police and the plane was in control of the Sudanese authorities.
The official noted that the plane is expected to return from Khartoum to Ethiopia in the coming two days.
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