Several African heads of state have joined the outpouring of global condolences following the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and seven other senior officials in a helicopter crash on Sunday.
The charred wreckage of the U.S.-made helicopter was found Monday after an overnight search in blizzard conditions in a mountainous area near the Azerbaijan border. Iranian media reported the aircraft slammed into a mountaintop in the poor weather, killing all aboard including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali said “On behalf of the People and Government of Ethiopia and myself, I express heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, people, and government of Iran over the tragic helicopter crash that claimed President Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian.”
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu also extended condolences, with a statement saying he was saddened by “the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi; Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials in a helicopter crash.”
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was among the first to express condolences, saying “I learned, with deep sadness, of the tragic death of President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and some of his collaborators. It is an immense pain that the Senegalese people share with the friendly Iranian people.”
Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto called Raisi “a fearless leader and dedicated public servant” and noted the president had chosen Kenya for his first-ever trip to Africa last year, highlighting close ties. “As we condole with the people of Iran, we commend Allah’s mercy and comfort,” Ruto stated.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said “We are deeply saddened by the deaths of President Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian and personnel. We have passed our condolences to the Supreme Leader and Iranian people.”
The African leaders’ statements joined a stream of messages from Iran’s allies like Russia as well as rivals like the U.S. and Israel in the wake of Raisi’s shocking death. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared five days of mourning and named an interim president.
Raisi, a hardline cleric, had been seen as a potential successor to Iran’s top leader. His loss could shake up the political establishment at a time when the regime already faces mass unrest and tensions over its nuclear program.
Video from the crash site showed the helicopter’s burned wreckage scattered in fog on a mountainside, underscoring the tragic circumstances of the 62-year-old president’s demise. While the cause remains under investigation, the incident has left a power vacuum that Iran must quickly address.
