SW Radio Africa (London)
Tererai Karimakwenda
1 February 2008
Simon Mann, the British mercenary who was serving time in Zimbabwe for attempting to buy illegal weapons,allegedly to be used in a failed coup plot in Equatorial Guinea, is reported to have been extradited to Equatorial Guinea early Thursday morning.
The 55 year old former British soldier lost an appeal on Wednesday against extradition to the oil-rich West African country. Journalist Peta Thornycroft said Mann's lawyer Jonathan Samkange visited the prison on Thursday, only to be told he had been taken away by the police.
Officials from Equatorial Guinea were waiting with their own plane and took Mann into custody. He is now in prison in the country where he is accused of attempting to overthrow dictator President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
Thornycroft said Equatorial Guinea is considered to have the worst human rights record on the continent. Five others accused with Mann in the alleged coup plot are already serving time in prisons there. One of them, Nick Dutoit, told relatives when he appeared in court that he had been tortured into confessing. There are concerns that Mann will receive the same brutal treatment.
Mann served 4 years in Chikurubi on the weapons charge. According to Thornycroft he testified that the weapons were to be used in operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was never proved that there was a link to the Guinea coup plot.
The extradition order from Equatorial Guinea came through just as Mann had completed serving his sentence in Zimbabwe and was about to be released. Fearing for his security lawyers had applied to the High Court to keep him in Zimbabwe until an appeal was heard. Mann then lost two appeals, the second of which was denied Wednesday. Lawyers had submitted another application when they discovered that Mann had 'disappeared.'
Thornycroft said there was a well choreographed series of decisions that amounted to collusion between judges in Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea.
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I totally agreed with you and i think it is a good thing Africa start showing the whole world its respect for its people and show no compromise in dealing with people who put African lives in misery.
You stupid African people. Where do you think you would be today without the white Americans and Europeans????
You'd have zero industry, no South African Mines, no oil industry, nothing.
You've had billions upon billions of dollars, pounds and euros given to you, millions of people saved from starvation.
Obiang & Mugabe are both ruthless brutal dictators and I would love to see the British and American governments send armies to Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea and take over these countries to save the thousands and millions of people that are starved, beaten and killed every year by the corrupt… [Read Full Text]
You stupid African people. Where do you think you would be today without the white Americans and Europeans????
You'd have zero industry, no South African Mines, no oil industry, nothing.
You've had billions upon billions of dollars, pounds and euros given to you, millions of people saved from starvation.
Obiang & Mugabe are both ruthless brutal dictators and I would love to see the British and American governments send armies to Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea and take over these countries to save the thousands and millions of people that are starved, beaten and killed every year by the corrupt… [Read Full Text]
Obiang murdered his uncle and took over the dictatorship. He stole all the money in the national treasury and deposited a half billion dollars in an american bank.Simon Mann is a pawn.His punishment ie; torture, does not fit the crime. Obiang is a vile dispicable creature. How unfortunate for anyone to think otherwise.
He desrves his lot... but the one that should be in jail is Anthony ("Tony") Buckingham, a greedy gangster businessman who organised and financed Mann's mercenary activities.
I think the decision to extradict Mann is highly welcomed. Gone are those days when big businesses, mercenaries and the press colluded to bring misery and war for Africa and loot its resources wantonly. Mann should rot in jail in the country he saw as a treasure for his sport. His fellow mercenaries should come to terms with the fact that Africa is no more a playground for adventurers and fortune hunters. The press can attempt to whitewash his wanton cruelty, but thank God we have Mbeki, Mugabe and Obiang Nguema the "dictator" who have the guts to take the… [Read Full Text]
What country is cchizama1 living in ? "Thanking God" for a ruthless canibal who enjoys raping men ? Thanking "God" for torturing shackled prisoners ? Do some research before engaging your lips.Let's eliminate Mann from the equasion.Do you still believe scumbag Obiang and his cohort dictator ,equally scumbag Mugabe,have the best interests for the people of E.G.and Zimbabwe? Ever hear of "human rights"? Pull up Parade Magazine on line and get a glimpse of some notorious evil people. Maybe you will "Thank God"for them also ! FORZA
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Finally Africa is beginning to deal with Mercenaries who for years have been distabilizing the continent. Simon Mann needs to face the death penalty. You can argue all you want about his innocense, but the facts of the case are there. The South African intelligency provided information to the Zimbabwean intelligence which led to Mann's arrest and conviction. Another example of more lies from the so-called independent media ( actually representing UK gov't) Zimbabwe will survive, VAVA Zimbabwe