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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The remains of Christine Alalo, the former Commissioner of Police who perished in the Ethiopian airlines crash in March this year, have been retrieved. This is according to a communication sent to the Uganda Police Force, from the Ethiopian government and the Airline company.
Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga says that the remains were identified with the help of DNA samples that were drawn from her sons and brothers. He adds that preparations have commenced the process to have Alalo’s remains repatriated to Uganda for burial.
Alalo died on 10, 2019 aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 which crashed moments after takeoff from Bole International Airport Addis Ababa, on her way from Italy, where she had gone to attend a Gender Protection Course. She was destined for her duty station in Mogadishu, Somalia via Nairobi.
At the time of her death, Alalo was head of the Uganda Police team attached to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
“Arrangements are now in place to repatriate the remains to Uganda for burial. The Ethiopian government and Ethiopian airlines are working closely with two brothers James Gregory Okello and Peter Eramu. They have already submitted their travel documents,” Enanga said.
Police said it has been agreed Okello and Eramu travel to Addis Ababa between November 5 and 7, 2019. Enanga said the family has also appointed A-Plus Funeral man agent to be in charge of receipt of the remains.
The fallen Police Commissioner joined the Uganda Police Force on August 18, 2001. In her 17 years’ service, Alalo served as OC Station Lira, DPC Entebbe, Staff officer of the Directorate of Human Resource Management, served in United Nations (UN) Mission in Sudan, Commissioner of Child and Family Protection Department and in 2015, she was appointed as Deputy Commissioner AMISOM in Somalia.
She died when she was Acting Commissioner AMISOM. Alalo emerged the winner among other competitors for UN-AMISON jobs. This was perhaps due to her past experience where she served in the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) as a Peacekeeper from 2007 to 2009.
Before she left for AMISOM, she headed the Department of Child and Family Protection Unit where she excelled in her duties and was awarded the European Union’s Human Rights Defender prize in June 2014.
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