The aircraft, operated by Tracep Congo Aviation, crashed on July 24, 2026, in a remote forested area that was difficult to access. The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.
A challenging rescue mission
The operation involved seven members of MONUSCO’s Jordanian Aviation Unit, including doctors, security officers, pilots, and other aircrew members.
Lieutenant Colonel Yousef Dararjeh, who took part in the mission, described the challenges the team faced in locating the survivors.
“It was a difficult mission that lasted nearly five hours in total. We departed from Beni at around 9:00 a.m. local time on Thursday and returned shortly before 1:00 p.m. The flight itself was uneventful despite changing weather conditions. We had received coordinates indicating the location of the wreckage, but unfortunately they were inaccurate. We had to rely on other methods to locate the survivors, who were approximately eight kilometers from the crash site, deep in the forest and more than 200 kilometers from Beni-Mavivi Airport,” he explained.
Upon arriving at the scene, MONUSCO rescuers found the body of one crew member and two survivors whose medical condition required immediate attention.
Crash cccurred shortly after takeoff
According to information provided by both the airline and the Régie des Voies Aériennes (RVA), the aircraft departed from Beni-Mavivi Airport on Friday, July 24, at 12:36 p.m. local time, bound for Kachungu, in Shabunda Territory, South Kivu. It was carrying three people on board along with approximately two tonnes of cargo.
A few minutes after takeoff, the pilot reportedly informed another aircraft operating in the area of an engine failure. He then attempted to divert to Walikale Airfield before radio communications were lost.
Following the aircraft’s disappearance, several search operations were launched with the support of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and reconnaissance teams deployed on the ground.
On July 26, search teams located survivors in the Buruko area, near the crash site. Later, on July 29, a team of volunteers reached the wreckage and confirmed the presence of the co-pilot’s body.
The search was conducted in an isolated region characterized by dense forest, rugged terrain, and an almost complete absence of road infrastructure.
A family finally able to mourn
For the family of the deceased co-pilot, MONUSCO’s intervention brought an end to several days of uncertainty.
“We are grateful for MONUSCO’s assistance. We did not know how we would recover our son's body. The company kept assuring us that it would do everything possible to bring him home, while we continued to provide information to support the search efforts. We thank MONUSCO for this humanitarian gesture. Now we can finally begin the mourning process,” said a member of the co-pilot’s family.
The management of Tracep Congo Aviation also expressed its appreciation to the Jordanian peacekeepers for carrying out the operation in what was described as an extremely dangerous area.
“We can only thank MONUSCO for this remarkable gesture. We had no idea how we would transport the body from Buruko to Beni, as the area is covered by dense forest, with no roads or trails, and is known to be dangerous because of the presence of armed groups,” said Olivier Upenji Chombe, the company’s General Manager.
A mission dedicated to saving lives
For the Jordanian peacekeepers, the operation reflects MONUSCO’s ongoing commitment to assisting local communities and protecting human life in challenging environments.
“As both a pilot and a peacekeeper, I am proud to have taken part in this rescue mission. We were able to save two lives and reunite the survivors with their families. During the return flight, our medical team provided them with emergency care to stabilize their condition before they were transferred to a medical facility in Beni,” said Lieutenant Colonel Yousef Dararjeh.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mission de l'Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO).
This website uses cookies.
