Equatorial Guinea coup plotters pardoned, released from jail
From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
- 6 December 2009: Obiang reelected as president of Equatorial Guinea after elections
- 4 November 2009: Equatorial Guinea coup plotters pardoned, released from jail
- 20 June 2008: Guinea coup trial defendant names co-conspirators
- 7 September 2005: UN holding recruitment exams in under-represented countries
- 17 July 2005: Plane crash in Equatorial Guinea kills 55
British mercenary Simon Mann was released from a jail in Equatorial Guinea after being pardoned for attempting to overthrow the government.
Mann, along with several dozen other suspected plotters, was arrested five years ago on charges of trying to start a coup to overthrow president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Their plans were foiled, however, and Mann was arrested after arriving in Zimbabwe to purchase firearms and grenades.
The conspirators had planned to install exiled opposition leader Severo Moto as president and to gain control over the country's vast oil supplies. Equatorial Guinea is Africa's third biggest oil producer.
The government said that the decision was made on compassionate grounds, seeing as Mann, aged 57, was reportedly not in good health. It stated that Mann had "shown sufficient and credible signs of repentance and a desire to take his place in society."
Amnesty was also given to four other co-conspirators, among them Nick Du Toit, from South Africa. Mann was arrested along with 63 others in 2004 when his plane landed in Zimbabwe allegedly to collect arms bought from the country's state arms manufacturer. He was extradited to Equatorial Guinea in 2008.
Sources
- "Equatorial Guinea frees coup leader" – Al Jazeera, November 3, 2009
- "Coup plotter Simon Mann released in Eq. Guinea" – Associated Press, November 3, 2009
- Selah Hennessy "British Coup Leader Pardoned In West Africa" – VOA News, November 3, 2009
 Share this: |
 |
This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.
Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age. |
