On the afternoon of 4 May 2020, an Embraer EMB 120 cargo aircraft operated by Kenya-based African Express Airways crashed near Bardale Airstrip, located in Somalia’s Bay region, approximately 210 km (130 mi) northwest of the capital Mogadishu. All six individuals on board the aircraft — two Kenyan and four Somali nationals – were killed. The aircraft was transporting a shipment of medical supplies to Bardale from Mogadishu at the time of the crash.
Analyst Comment: Kenyan and Somali officials are investigating the circumstances of the crash. Several local Somali media outlets reported that at least one rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) — presumably fired by Ethiopian military forces stationed in the region — struck the aircraft. Al-Shabab militants actively operate throughout Somalia, and are capable of targeting aircraft with RPGs, mortars and small arms fire; however, members of the multinational African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) largely control the area surrounding Bardale Airstrip.
