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UN forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo have sent three aircraft to help search for a DRC government cargo plane with eight people on board missing since Thursday.

The plane, which had been supplying equipment for a visit to Goma by President Felix Tshisekedi, disappeared after taking off in bad weather from the eastern city.

The UN peacekeeping mission Monusco sent two planes and a helicopter on Saturday to try to locate the Antonov 72 plane which had a crew that included two Russians, according to Moscow’s embassy in Kinshasa.

If the plane is found, Monusco will do everything it can to get help to the crew, spokesperson Florence Marshal said. “But the weather is not making the task any easier,” she added.

Congolese aircraft are already searching for the missing plane, which according to the DRC’s Civil Aviation Authority (known as AAC) was lost 59 minutes after takeoff. — AFP