Addis Ababa on Friday asked Sudan to hand over five officer cadets who hijacked an Ethiopian military plane and diverted it to Khartoum, but Sudan said it would not extradite them. Sudanese Information Minister Ghazi Salaheddine Atabani said the government would not extradite the cadets who hijacked the plane on Thursday and eventually released all 51 hostages early Friday. It was not clear whether the Sudanese had received the request before Atabani spoke. Earlier Friday, Ethiopian radio said an extradition treaty existed between the two countries and the request to hand over the cadets was made on the basis of this deal. A senior Ethiopian official told AFP the request was being considered.
Any hijacking is a crime.
The source said the hijackers were trainees who failed their exams to be fighter pilots, and were aged in their twenties. But Atabani said the hijackers agreed to free their hostages on condition that they not be extradited to Ethiopia. The plane was taking military personnel and their families from one base to another when it was diverted to Khartoum. More than three-quarters of the Ethiopian air force, which played a decisive role in offensives a year ago against Eritrea, is made up of young pilots trained in Ethiopia and Russia. Also Friday ministers from both Sudan and Ethiopia were due meet in Addis Ababa under the aegis of a development commission.