The government of Equatorial Guinea has launched a manhunt for persons it suspects planned a foiled coup to overthrow the country’s leader, Theodoro Obiang last year.
Officials in the West African nation have claimed that Cameroonian officials helped in foiling the attempted overthrow of the government in December last year resulting in the arrest of more than 30 armed men.
The suspects were arrested in Cameroon, near the border with Equatorial Guinea.
Equatorial Guinea’s security minister Nicholas Obama Nchama has said that mercenaries recruited by opposition parties have planned to overthrow the government of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
The minister claimed the coup attempt was foiled and the alleged mercenaries from Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR) found with rocket launchers, rifles and large amounts of ammunition.
But the government has said it is looking for other suspects who have successfully crossed the border without being arrested.
A senior government official told the AFP on Friday that “We are carrying out intensive searches everywhere.”
The manhunt, the source said is focussed on “the Ebibeyin zone and other forests nearby,” close to the border with Cameroon.
On Thursday, the United Nations announced it would send its envoy for West Africa, Francois Louceny Fall, to the country for talks next week.
Mr Obiang who has been in power for 38 years.
The Equatorial Guinean leader recently pardoned one Simon Mann accused of attempting to overthrow the government 14 years ago after he was jailed 34 years in prison for the crime.
Source: Africafeeds.com
