A plot to abduct the long-serving president of the small, oil-rich west African nation of Equatorial Guinea has been unveiled on national television by the alleged leader of a group of mercenaries. "It wasnât a question of taking the life of the head of state, but of spiriting him away, taking him to Spain and forcing him into exile and then of immediately installing the government in exile of Severo Moto Nsa," said the man, introduced as Nick du Toit.
Equatorial Guinea called for the extradition of Mr Moto, who tried to mount a coup against President Teodoro Obiang Nguema in 1997 from Angola and recently set up a government in exile in Spain. Mr Obiang, who came to power in a 1979 coup, announced the arrest of 15 mercenaries on Tuesday.
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"A group of mercenaries entered the country and was studying plans to carry out a coup dâetat in Equatorial Guinea," he was quoted as saying, pointing the finger at the exiled Mr Moto. "The group was supposed . . . to start by identifying strategic targets such as the presidency, the military barracks, police posts and the residences of government members," Mr du Toit said. Then "it was supposed to have vehicles at Malabo Airport to transport other mercenaries who were due to arrive from South Africa. At the last minute, I got a call to say that the other group of mercenaries had been arrested in South Africa as they were preparing to leave the country."
Mr Obiang had also alleged the group were linked to 67 men detained in Zimbabwe at the weekend when their plane was impounded. Zimbabweâs Government has warned that the suspected mercenaries could face the death penalty. Mr Obiang said he been tipped off to the plot by the South African President, Thabo Mbeki, "who warned us that a group of mercenaries was heading towards Equatorial Guinea .. . . Angola also sent messages to tell us to be vigilant." Earlier national radio had named Mr du Toit, 48, a South African, as the groupâs leader. The remainder of the 15 were from Angola, Armenia, Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa, as well as one German. But a South African diplomat based in neighbouring Libreville said he had no knowledge of Mr du Toitâs background, described on the radio here as a "trafficker in arms and diamonds". 
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