On July 30, 2005, the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and Vice President of Sudan, John Garang, passed away after a helicopter he had boarded crashed in the Pirre Mountains, a remote area near the border between Sudan and Uganda.
After the news of his helicopter crash spread, riots broke out in Khartoum and other parts of Sudan.
The unrest resulted in the deaths of at least 130 people. Many people were shocked and refused to believe the news that Garang’s death was accidental, suggesting foul play from Omar Al Bashir’s government, who was Sudan’s president, leading to violent demonstrations.
Prior to Garang’s death, he had travelled to Uganda on July 29, 2005, to visit his long-time friend, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Uganda’s President, at his Rwalitura ranch.
John Garang Dies in Helicopter Crash
According to reports, Garang’s visit to Uganda was to discuss issues centering on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
The CPA Agreement, which was signed on January 9, 2005, in Naivasha in Kenya, between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Government of Sudan aimed to end the Second Sudanese Civil War, establish democratic governance, and share oil revenues.
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Additionally, it included provisions for a six-year interim period, after which South Sudan would have the right to vote in a self-determination referendum.
Sudan’s Vice President Meeting
During the Vice President’s visit, discussions were related to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and South Sudan’s future, though specific details remain limited due to the private nature of the meeting and the lack of public disclosure about other participants or exact outcomes.
After his visit, the Sudan Vice President boarded a Mi-172 military helicopter that belonged to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. It was later established that John Garang’s helicopter had lost contact when it failed to make its scheduled communications check-ins.
About an hour into the flight, the helicopter was supposed to establish contact, but it did not.
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The Ugandan authorities later notified the Sudanese government after the helicopter had been missing for more than 24 hours.
This led to a search operation, and the wreckage was eventually found in the Pirre Mountains. The Sudanese government, through President Omar Al Bashir, later confirmed that the helicopter had crashed into a mountain range in southern Sudan because of poor visibility.
John Garang died alongside six aides, including Major Amad Majer, and seven Ugandan crew members. To date, the circumstances under which Garang died still remain a mystery.
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