A loophole in security and great confusion. This Thursday, a young Mauritanian who dreamed, according to his family, of continuing his studies in the United States, managed to infiltrate a plane parked at Nouakchott airport (the capital of Mauritania) before being “subdued By the police.
At the end of the day, we did not yet know all the details of the course of this takeover of a plane, which took place in the morning on the tarmac of the largest airport in this West African country. The Mauritanian Information Agency (AMI) first indicated that an “American who claims to have problems with the Mauritanian government” had taken control of a plane.
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A stranger actually “infiltrated a plane” in the morning, confirmed a security source who requested anonymity, without giving details of his identity or nationality. According to this source, the aircraft was an Embraer from Mauritania Airlines providing domestic routes.
Depressed not being able to travel to the United States to study
He had “mingled with agents of a company working at the airport, which gave him access to the plane”, also indicated the Mauritanian press agency. Once in the plane, “empty of passengers”, he had “threatened to detonate it”, according to the same source, who could not say if the man was in possession of weapons or explosives.
It was in fact a young Mauritanian, Soulymane Ould Sidi Baba, his family said in a statement at the end of the day.
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After “brilliant studies in English in Mauritania, he wanted to continue in this language and wanted to go to the USA. His repeated failures to be able to get to the United States created a certain depression in him, ”the statement said.
His family said they had not heard from him for two days, before learning Thursday of his attempt to take control of a plane at the airport. She adds that he has never been in possession of a weapon.
The man was arrested: “He is neutralized. The gendarmes managed to subdue him after he refused to surrender, ”said the security source. AMI also reported that “the operation was successfully completed” with his arrest.
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