- Title: IVORY COAST: BODY OF U.N. ENVOY ALIOUNE BLONDIN BEYE FLOWN TO HIS HOME IN MALI.
- Date: 30th June 1998
- Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (JUNE 29, 1998) (RTV-ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: THE FUNERAL PARLOUR 'IVOSEP' 0.06 2. GV: ARRIVAL OF THE IVORIAN HEAD OF STATE HENRI KONAN BEDIE 0.11 3. GV: SIX COFFINS EXPOSED IN THE INTERIOR OF FUNERAL PARLOUR WRAPED WITH THE UNITED NATIONS BLUE FLAG 0.13 4. SV/GV/MCU: PRESIDENT HENRI KONAN BEDIE GREETING ALIOUNE BLONDIN BEYE
- Embargoed: 15th July 1998 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST
- City:
- Country: Ivory Coast
- Reuters ID: LVA1OGTA8QEON8Y8SRBET2EPP093
- Story Text: The body of U.N.special envoy Alioune Blondin Beye has been flown to his home in Mali from Ivory Coast where he died in a plane crash, Ivorian President Henri Konan Bedie, was present at departure ceremonies in Abidjan.
The body of United Nations (U.N.) special envoy Alioune Blondin Beye left the Ivory Coast on Monday (June 29).
Ivorian President Henri Konan Bedie, his ministers and heads of diplomatic mission's in Ivory Coast were present at the departure ceremonies in Abidjan.
Beye, 59, was the special United Nations envoy in Angola.
He and seven others died when their light aircraft crashed near Abidjan on Friday night.
Beye had been heading for Abidjan after talks in Lome with Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema.
Also on board were five members of the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) and two crew members.
The coffins of all six officials were draped in blue U.N.
flags as Bedie and other dignitaries gathered at a funeral house to bid farewell to the veteran Malian diplomat.
Beye's widow and other family members sobbed quietly as Moslem and Christian leaders offered prayers before the envoy's casket left for the airport.
The twin-engined Beechcraft came down about five to ten minutes before it was due to land at Abidjan airport as it brought Beye and his delegation from Lome, Togo.
Search teams on Sunday found Beye and the five observers near the plane's wreckage close to the village of Oguedoume, east of Abidjan.
Beye was a former foreign minister of Mali and a former professor of international law.
The seven who died with Beye were identified by MONUA as Koffi Adjoyi of Togo, a political affairs officer; Moctar Gueye of Senegal, spokesman; Beadengar Dessande of Chad, a political adviser; Ibikunle Williams of Nigeria, a security officer; Captain Alvaro Costa, a liaison officer whose nationality was not given; and pilots Jason Hunter and Andrew McCurrach.
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