FAQ

2012 – Establishment of the Hammarskjöld Inquiry Trust & the Hammarskjöld Commission

In 2011 a new book Who Killed Hammarskjöld? The UN, the Cold War and White Supremacy in Africa, by Susan Williams was released, raising new awareness around the crash. The book presented new findings, leading to the establishment of the Hammarskjöld Inquiry Trust in 2012, chaired by Lord Lea of Crondall, a former British Lord Justice of Appeal. The trustees of the inquiry included H.E. Chief Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria, Archbishop Emeritus K.G. Hammar, Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames Q. C., Prof. Henning Melber, Prof. Naison Ngoma, Hans Kristian Simensen, and Dr. Susan Williams.

The Trust set up the Hammarskjöld Commission, an international group of four distinguished jurists, Sir Steven Sedley (Chair), Ambassador Hans Corell, Justice Richard Goldstone and Justice Wilhelmina Thomassen. After an examination of the available evidence and interviews in Ndola with witnesses who were still alive, the commission concluded: “There is persuasive evidence that the aircraft was subjected to some form of attack or threat as it circled to land at Ndola … (and) was in fact forced into its descent by some form of hostile action.”

It recommended that the UN conduct a further investigation and seek access to relevant records held by member states. The commission’s report was made public on 9 September 2013. On the same day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that he would closely study the findings.

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