Simon Mann and the Equatorial Guinea Coup D'e

I'm sure you're all familiar with the alleged conspiracy that happened a few weeks ago, involving several mercenaries and Mark Tatcher. Now my question is, why would they stop the coup in Equatorial just because the alleged mercenaries didn't arrive ? Were they going to do it all by themselves ?

They were only 14 men, and supposedly tried to buy weapons. So was he really the backspine of the whole thing ? Is there no faction in Equatorial Guinea actually trying to do their little Revolution ? After all I haven't heard of any arrests there related to the conspiracy. Was it all external "aid" ?

Originally posted by alienisback
I'm sure you're all familiar with the alleged conspiracy that happened a few weeks ago, involving several mercenaries and Mark Tatcher.

Other than reading a few headlines I am not that familiar with it. But your question is very interesting.

I would imaging that to pull off an external coup you would need some established local support and some media/propaganda control. And the "higher" the level of that support (status not necessarily numbers) the better.

No doubt that the arrests brought "the heat" on and drove that support underground for a while. It would be interesting to know who among the ruling elite is keeping a low profile right now or conversely is maybe "protesting too much"?

Originally posted by Gools

I would imaging that to pull off an external coup you would need some established local support and some media/propaganda control. And the "higher" the level of that support (status not necessarily numbers) the better.

No doubt that the arrests brought "the heat" on and drove that support underground for a while. It would be interesting to know who among the ruling elite is keeping a low profile right now or conversely is maybe "protesting too much"?

Well, the Government of Equitorial Guinea hasn't made any significant declaration about the issue about any sort of resistance or anything like that, which is again, weird. They should have at least done "something", but apparently South Africa is the only one trying to stop the alleged "coup".

The way i remember this story was that the person who they were going to buy the weapons from, was in the government and the one who actually turned them in.

I think they could have made a stronger case personally because they were caught with clothes & equipment like radio's, boots, supplies etc. and still had to buy the weapons...

Lots of private security companies use equipment like that, they didnt have to say they were going overthrow the government in a coup...Anyway they couldnt make a stong enough case against the "rebels" because they were caught not in the country they were going to overthrow but instead a neighbouring one.

i wonder what would have happened if they had actually gone through with it??