Q&A: Equatorial Guinea coup plot

Simon Mann, a former British army officer, has been sentenced to 34 years in prison for his role in an attempted coup in 2004.

In February 2008, he was extradited from Zimbabwe - where he had been imprisoned for trying to illegally buy weapons - to the oil-rich former Spanish colony.

How was the plot discovered?

In March 2004, Zimbabwean police in Harare impounded a plane which flew in from South Africa with 64 alleged mercenaries on board.

Simon Mann (centre) was held in Zimbabwe in 2004

The group said they were providing security for a mine in Democratic Republic of Congo, but a couple of days later an Equatorial Guinean minister said they had detained 15 more men who were the advance party for the group captured in Zimbabwe.

Nick du Toit, the leader of the group of South Africans and Armenians in Equatorial Guinea, said at his trial in Equatorial Guinea that he was playing a limited role in a coup bid.

He told the court he was recruited by Simon Mann, the alleged leader of the group held in Zimbabwe, and that he was helping with recruitment, acquiring weapons and logistics for the attempt.

In September that year, Mann was sentenced to seven years in jail in Zimbabwe after being convicted of illegally trying to buy weapons.

He served three years, after the sentence was reduced. Others arrested with him were acquitted of any links to a suspected coup attempt after magistrates said prosecutors had failed to prove their case.

Why organise a coup attempt?

Equatorial Guinea, a former Spanish colony, has been ruled by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema since he seized power from his uncle in a coup in 1979. His government has been accused of widespread human rights abuses and of ruthlessly suppressing political opposition.

Yet the discovery of oil several years ago has meant huge wealth and massive investment flowing into this poor country of just 500,000 people.

Not much of this has trickled down to ordinary people.

Both Mann's trial in Zimbabwe and the Equatorial Guinea trial were held amid complaints of abuse and unfair treatment from relatives of those being held.

One suspect, a German, died in prison in Equatorial Guinea after what Amnesty International claimed was torture.

So who was behind the plot?

In court, Mann confessed to a degree of involvement.

But the 56-year-old ex-Etonian said he had been the "manager, not the architect" of the plot.

Sir Mark Thatcher now lives in Spain

He accused London-based oil tycoon Eli Calil of being the "boss". Mr Calil has strongly denied having links to the plot.

Mann also said that both Spain and South Africa had "given the green light" but this has been denied by both countries.

Mann also insisted his old friend Sir Mark Thatcher, son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, was "part of the team".

In 2005, Sir Mark was given a fine and a suspended sentence in South Africa after pleading guilty to unknowingly helping to finance the plot. However, he has always denied any direct involvement.

Mann said the idea was to install Equatorial Guinea's veteran opposition leader Severe Moto as head of state. He has been found guilty in absentia but has denied any involvement.

The BBC's Newsnight television programme saw the financial records of Mann's companies showing large payments to Nick du Toit and also some $2m coming in - though the source of this funding has not been traced.

What is South Africa's role?

Mercenary activities were banned in South Africa several years ago after complaints about security organisations like Executive Outcomes, in which Mann was involved.

The majority of those alleged to have been the mercenaries planning to carry out the coup are based in South Africa, with many being former members of the apartheid-era security forces.

But South Africa has passed strong anti-mercenary laws - it was on these that Sir Mark was convicted.