The Daily Update: Tuesday Evening Brief, 28th April 2026 – Luri Plane Crash: Media Community Mourns

(JUBA – The media community in South Sudan is leading tributes after a plane crash near Luri village killed 14 people, including journalists and a former Access Radio broadcaster, as investigations into the incident continue.

Access Radio 88.8 FM confirmed that former broadcaster Vivian Nadenge was among those who died in the crash on Monday morning. Nadenge was a well known voice in Yei River County, where she co hosted the Access Breakfast Show alongside Johnson Poru Hillary and presented the Children’s Voice programme every Sunday, focusing on issues affecting children. Station manager Johnson Poru Hillary described her death as a major loss to the media industry and to listeners.

The Union of Journalists of South Sudan, Central Equatoria State branch, also expressed deep sorrow, confirming that two members of the media fraternity were on board the aircraft. The union said the plane departed Yei Airfield at 9:15 in the morning bound for Juba, before communication was lost at about 9:43. The South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority later confirmed there were no survivors.

The aircraft came down near Luri, about 20 kilometres southwest of Juba International Airport. Authorities said all passengers and crew, including the pilot, died in the crash.

CityLink Aviation Ltd said it is working closely with aviation regulators and emergency response teams to determine the cause of the incident and support the ongoing investigation.

Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony extended condolences to the families of the victims, describing the crash as a tragedy and a significant loss to both the state and the nation.

Separately, the Catholic bishop of Tambura Yambio Diocese has renewed calls for answers over the disappearance of a priest and his driver in Western Equatoria State. Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala said the case of Reverend Father Luke Yugue and Michael Gbeko remains unresolved years after their reported abduction along the Nagero Tambura road, urging accountability.

In economic developments, South Sudan says it is ready to offer access to its mineral resources to the United States in exchange for financial and technical support, in a bid to attract investment into the country’s mining sector.

In regional news, the United Nations has condemned an attack on an aid truck in Sudan’s North Darfur State. A vehicle carrying emergency shelter supplies for displaced people came under drone attack while passing through Umm Drisaya, according to a UN spokesperson.

The crash has renewed focus on aviation safety and emergency response capacity in South Sudan, as families, colleagues and listeners continue to mourn those lost.