'Coup plot foiled'

2004-03-09 21:33

Johannesburg - The government of Equatorial Guinea claimed to have foiled a plot to kill the country's president after detaining 15 suspected mercenaries, radio said on Tuesday.

The group were believed to have arrived in Equatorial Guinea two months ago on the pretence of setting up a business - but were only arrested following the impounding of an aircraft in Zimbabwe on Sunday which was carrying 64 suspected mercenaries.

The Information Minister of Equatorial Guinea, Agustin Nse Nfumu, said that the 15 men - from South Africa, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Germany - had been "plotting to kill the president" - Teodoro Obiang.

South African 'confessed'

He said the leader of the group, a white South African called "Mick" had confessed to the plot.

A London-based company, Logo Logistics Ltd, meanwhile came forward on Tuesday to say that the plane impounded in Zimbabwe was a Boeing 727 it had chartered in South Africa to transport mine security workers and equipment to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The government on Tuesday confirmed that South Africans were among the 64 arrested.

The exact origin of the US-registered plane, its cargo, the fate of the 64 people it was carrying and its destination at the time it was forced to land, meanwhile remained a mystery.

There had been earlier speculation that the plane may have been en route to Equatorial Guinea to assist in the alleged coup attempt.

The aircraft, took off, apparently illegally, from the Waterkloof airbase, flew directly out of the country and was forced to land in Harare by Zimbabwe's air force, according to media reports on Tuesday.

- SAPA