Date: 11 March 2019

Message of Condolence on Ethiopian Airlines Flight Et302 Which Crashed on Sunday 10 March 2019 In Ethiopia

The African Union Economic Social and Cultural Council expresses its deep sympathies with those who lost loved ones aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 which crashed on Sunday 10 March 2019 in #Ethiopia.

We are particularly saddened by the loss of two African diaspora experts who were traveling on board the flight to participate in ECOSOCC meetings in #Nairobi.

1. Prof. Pius Adesanmi, a Canadian citizen of Nigerian origin, was Director of the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada and one of the leading Pan-Africanist scholars in North America.

2. Mr. Karim Saafi, a dynamic African diaspora youth leader in Europe and a co-founder of the African Diaspora Youth in Europe (ADYFE). He was a French citizen of Tunisian origin.

It is with so much sorrow that we share how our friends and work colleagues lost their lives on the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed on its way to Nairobi, Kenya on Sunday, March 10, 2018.

Our friends Professor Pius Adesanmi and Mr. Karim Saafi have constantly partnered with us in a lot of our work in Diaspora and Civil Society matters over the years. The two were always ready to offer their technical expertise towards the work of the African Union Commission and especially the CIDO Directorate. Their passion on all issues to do with Africa made them a constant sight at most of the work meetings organized by our Directorate.

It is after responding to a request to yet again put their expertise at work that they lost their lives. Professor Adesanmi and Mr. Saafi were aboard the plane on their way to Nairobi, Kenya to participate in a meeting for ECOSOCC, an advisory organ of the African Union of which our Directorate is a Secretariat.

At their untimely passing, the two were in positions of leadership in areas of work that they gave their all to. Professor Pius Adesanmi, was Director of the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada and a lead Pan-Africanist scholar in North America. Mr. Karim Saafi, was co-founder of the African Diaspora Youth in Europe (ADYFE) and an African diaspora youth leader in Europe.