20 September 2007
Bujumbura — After the illegal sale of the Presidential Falcon 50 jet, Burundi has acquired a new plane for the Head of state. The Antonov 30 now replaces the Falcon 50. This plane is now on the tarmac of the international airport of Bujumbura and has been painted with the colours of the national flag.
This plane, which came from Sudan but was manufactured in Russia, is comparable to the Falcon 50 in that it is very old and slow, although sources indicate that it is a new generation of the Antonov.
The Head of State previously had to depend on international airlines even when travelling to neighbouring countries. The need for a new plane for the President of the Republic first arose when the former leader of CNDD-FDD, Hussein Radjabu, indicated that the Falcon 50 jet had technical problems. He was supported in this by the President of the Republic, Pierre Nkurunziza.
This plane was later controversially sold to an American company. A probe to determine any irregularities surrounding the sale of the Falcon 50 jet is ongoing. The sale of the Falcon 50 jet was the first large scale case of embezzlement to tarnish the current ruling party, CNDD-FDD.
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