Aircraft that crashed in Sudan was transporting cash cargo

NAIROBI, Nov. 18, 2003 (dpa) — The aircraft that crashed in southern Sudan Monday, killing all 13 people on board, was carrying about 3.5 million dollars worth of cash, local media reported Tuesday.

The Russian-made cargo plane was bound for the southern city of Wau from the capital Khartoum. On Monday, witnesses told Khartoums independent newspaper, al-Sahafa, that the plane caught fire before it exploded and plunged to the ground.

The plane was transporting cash from the Sudans central bank to a local branch in Wau, Mohammed Abdul Qudir, general manager of the aviation company told reporters.

Rebels in southern Sudan have shot down several aircraft in recent years, but the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) denied involvement in this crash.

The Sudanese government and SPLA rebel leaders are making progress toward ending their 20-year civil war.

In October, a helicopter crash in Sudan killed 20 people, mostly members of the armed forces. In July, a Sudan Airways Boeing 737 crashed on a domestic flight killing 115 people.