Africa must impose severe punishment on mercenaries and terrorists to stamp out the scourge, Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema said late on Wednesday.
“The action of African states and governments should be unanimous to punish those who believe in these kinds of attitudes, mercenaries and treacherous attitudes,” Obiang said in an address delivered at a banquet hosted by President Robert Mugabe.
“An exemplary punishment should be imposed upon them to make sure they desist from further actions and thinking of the same manner,” he said.
Obiang arrived on Wednesday for a three-day state visit to Zimbabwe aimed at deepening cooperation after Harare two years ago thwarted an alleged coup against the leader.
The veteran leader last visited Zimbabwe in April 2004, a month after about 70 suspected mercenaries were arrested at Harare airport, allegedly to pick up weapons en route to Equatorial Guinea to stage a coup.
The mercenaries were convicted on weapons and immigration charges and most of them were released in May last year, but the alleged mastermind of the coup attempt, Briton Simon Mann, remains behind bars in Zimbabwe.
Five South Africans are serving long sentences in Equatorial Guinea in connection with the alleged coup plot including alleged ringleader Nick du Toit, sentenced to 34 years in jail.
British businessman Mark Thatcher, the son of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, pleaded guilty in South Africa to unwittingly taking part in the alleged coup plot and paid a R3-million fine in January 2005.
Obiang, in power for 27 years, said the alleged coup plotters planned attacks on other countries in West Africa and thanked Zimbabwe for foiling the attempt.
“According to their [the mercenaries’] declarations it was not Equatorial Guinea only that was to become their victim,” Obiang said.
“There were a number of other countries which were already listed as prospective targets of attacks.”
Obiang is to discuss cooperation on security issues and a possible agreement to export oil from Equatorial Guinea to Zimbabwe.
His trip to Zimbabwe comes a month after he travelled to Angola for a state visit to sign a broad cooperation agreement that covers security issues as well as oil and trade. – AFP