VZCZCXRO9779
OO RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #1305 2401452
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 271452Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1735
INFO RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI IMMEDIATE 0367
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO IMMEDIATE 0339

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001305 
 
DEPT FOR DS/IP/AF, DS/CC, AF/SPG 
CAIRO FOR LEGAT 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL PTER EAIR SU LY
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON HIGHJACKING OF SUDANESE AIRCRAFT TO LIBYA 
 
REF:  KHARTOUM 1301 
 
¶1. (SBU) As of 1500 local time, media reports indicted that the 
highjackers had released the reported 95 passengers from Sudanese 
Sun Air 737 aircraft diverted to Kufra, Libya, (reftel,) but 
continued to hold the crew hostage.  The highjackers were said to be 
demanding fuel to fly the craft to Europe.  No group has claimed 
responsibility for the highjacking. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On August 27 poloffs met with Murtada Hassan Gumaa, 
Commercial and Executive Director of Sun Air, which operated the 
domestic Nylala to Khartoum flight.  (Note: The passengers were 
released several hours after the meeting.  End Note.)  Gumaa stated 
that while he has had no direct contact with the crew, he had spoken 
with the Libyan authorities on site at Kufra airfield.  Gumaa, who 
spent over two decades in aviation in the United Arab Emirates 
before returning to Sudan within the past year, said the Libyans 
have been helpful. He expressed confidence in their handling of the 
highjacking.  "They are determined to resolve this situation on the 
ground," he said, and to that end they have refused to refuel the 
hijacked plane.  He continued that the Libyan negotiator is 
experienced and well-versed in crisis situations.  He noted that Sun 
Air had advised Libyan authorities to seek a peaceful solution and 
avoid the use of force at all costs.  "The safety of the passengers 
and the aircraft itself is paramount," he said, noting that Sun Air 
is the only reliable commercial service in and out of Darfur. 
 
¶3. (SBU) When asked about the circumstances surrounding the 
hijacking, Gumaa stated that the responsibility for pre-boarding 
screening and airport security measures rests with Sudan's Civil 
Aviation Authority.  He stated that Sun Air does not have the 
authority to search passengers or luggage.  But as a result of this 
incident, Sun Air already has prepared a letter to the Civil 
Aviation Authority requesting permission to take responsibility for 
security screening, he said.  Gumaa lamented that Sudanese airports 
generally have lax security, with numerous unguarded or unsecured 
areas. Following this event, however, he said he expected corrective 
action would be taken by civil aviation authorities to address these 
deficiencies, noting that changes were already being implemented. 
Passengers on a Sun Air flight to Juba the morning following the 
hijacking were subjected to rigorous screening and identification 
checks, he said.  He expressed confidence in the capabilities of the 
Civil Aviation Authority, characterizing its current leadership as 
receptive and flexible.  (Note:  Wholesale changes were made in the 
leadership of Sudan's CAA, following the tragic fire aboard a Sudan 
Air aircraft on landing at the Khartoum Airport that took the lives 
of 30 people in June.  End note.)  The current CAA head also comes 
from the aviation field, he said, while his predecessor did not. 
 
¶4. (U) Post will continue to provide updates on this incident, 
including the affiliation and motivations of the hijackers, as 
information becomes available. 
 
ASQUINO