Sunday, March 25, 2012

Mission to evacuate Wetang'ula fails



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Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang'ula (right) and Mali rebel troops patrolling streets in the capital Bamako (left). The Ministry said Mr Wetang'ula was safe after a coup in the west African nation March 22, 2012.
Photos/FILE and AFP Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang'ula (right) and Mali rebel troops patrolling streets in the capital Bamako (left) after the military announced a coup on March 21, 2012.  
By CAROLINE WAFULA cwafula@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Saturday, March 24  2012 at  22:32
Government efforts to evacuate Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula and 26 Kenyans stuck in Bamako, Mali, through a chartered flight suffered a major setback on Saturday.
A West African airline declined to fly out, citing warning over risky airspace. (READ:Wetang’ula stranded in hotel after chaos erupts in Bamako)
The Government had managed to charter a flight from an Airline company in Nigeria on Saturday to fly in and evacuate the group after securing clearance for evacuation from the Mali military.
The airline, however, declined to fly out, saying they had been informed by the control tower in Mali that the airspace was not safe.
The development came hours after the minister gave up a seat on a United Nations plane on Friday night, instead offering it to one of the Kenyans stranded in the country.
The minister said on Facebook that his conscience would not allow him to jump on the plane to safety and leave behind the other Kenyans.
“One seat was available and offered to me but I declined to take the seat and gave it to one stranded Kenyan, Mr Kaberia.
“I found it difficult and immoral to jump on the plane to safety and leave my officers and other Kenyans in uncertainty,” he said.
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The light UN plane was allowed to land on Friday night. “We still await our date with fate. Goodnight Kenyan compatriots and friends,” his status update read.
An official from the ministry of Foreign Affairs said the minister has indicated that he will only leave after he is sure that all the other Kenyans stranded with him have also left.
The government is working on another plan to evacuate them.
Mali’s coup leader Captain Amadou Sanogo had assured that the foreign officials would be allowed to leave the country.

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