President Felix Tshisekedi of DRC was left stranded in airspace after his plane could not land at N’djili airport triggering massive panic across the country’s security system.
Late night on Wednesday a few minutes into Thursday, the presidential plane carrying the head of state was returning from Kazakhstan where President Tshisekedi had been on a 48-hour visit.
Upon entering the DRC airspace, the pilot attempted to contact N’djili airport control tower but the response was not forthcoming.
Reports reaching the Taarifa Investigative desk indicate that the airport had suffered a major power outage which had affected communication with several aircraft.
Ngoma Mbaki Léonard, the Director General of the Air Transport Authority (RVA), confirmed that this malfunction also affected communication with the presidential plane, whose landing had to be delayed.
Several other aircraft were diverted to Brazzaville/Mayaya Airport.
The following day, the commander of N’djili airport was fired with disgrace.
“You left in place an incompetent technician on duty who failed to observe the protocol made available to him to activate the reverse emergency operating mode,” reads in part a letter addressed to the commander of N’djili airport.
“Due to the seriousness of these facts and in accordance with the regulatory provisions, especially Article 32 of the RVA Collective Agreement, I am suspending you from your duties until further notice for the purpose of investigations,” Ngoma Mbaki Léonard wrote in a letter to the airport commander.
President Félix Tshisekedi had just concluded a working visit in Astana, Kazakhstan on September 10th.
During his visit, President Tshisekedi and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, signed a host of agreements on diplomatic consultations, cooperation in mining and geology.
The two leaders said the agreements reached and documents signed during the visit will give fresh momentum to cooperation in trade, transport, mining, agriculture, IT, and digitalization, while reinforcing the shared aspiration to build a strong and future-oriented partnership.
“Kazakhstan is interested in deepening cooperation with the DRC in various areas. There are all the prerequisites for giving it a new impetus. We are united by a high level of political will, significant trade and economic potential, as well as common goals in the cultural and humanitarian sphere,” President Tokayev said.
President Tshiseked highlighted the importance of strengthening ties not only between the two countries but also between Africa and Central Asia more broadly.
President Tokayev awarded Tshisekedi the Order of Dostyk (Friendship) of the first degree for his contribution to strengthening bilateral ties, fostering friendship, and promoting international and regional stability.
