- "What had been described as "military"
items on board were in fact equipment such as boots, pipe-bending and wire-cutting
tools, the firm declared."
-
- Note - This is very bizarre. It appears to me to be some
kind of propaganda game - and I wonder if it does not involved both South
Africa and Zimbabwe and others. It looks ugly... as if they might "make
an example" of innocent people. - Jan Lamprecht
-
- An aircraft seized by the Zimbabwe government on Sunday
was carrying men believed to be linked to a South African mercenary company
and to the elite British Special Air Services regiment, the Zimbabwe government
said on Tuesday night.
-
- It indicated the group had come to collect weapons bought
in Zimbabwe.
-
- Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi said on state television
that on board the flight were 20 South Africans, 32 Angolans, 18 Namibians,
two from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a Zimbabwean with a South
African passport.
-
- The spokesperson for the group appeared to be Simon Witherspoon,
"a known South African mercenary who has operated in various countries
in Africa, including CÙte d'Ivoire," he said.
-
- Witherspoon had served in the South African defence forces
until 1989 and then joined Executive Outcomes, he said. He did not elaborate
on their alleged connection to the British special forces regiment.
-
- When the aircraft landed at Harare International airport,
its captain had said the plane contained no cargo and only seven passengers,
he said.
-
- "Contrary to the information... 64 male adults were
found on the plane," he said.
-
- The aircraft was met by an "advance party"
of three men. Mohadi named one of them as Simon Mann. He said Mann and
another he named as Nicholas du Toit had arrived in Zimbabwe earlier and
stated they wanted to buy arms there to sponsor an armed rebel group in
Angola.
-
- "But they later changed their story that they wanted
to protect a mining concern in the DRC."
-
- A spokesperson for the British-based company, Logo Logistics,
that owns the aircraft said earlier in London that the group was on its
way to do demining work in the DRC. Mohadi said that Zimbabwe did not appear
to be the group's final destination.
-
- Meanwhile, the government of Equatorial Guinea announced
on Tuesday that the mercenaries had been employed to assassinate the president
of Equatorial Guinea, SABC radio news reported on Tuesday.
-
- On Tuesday the Information Minister of Equatorial Guinea,
Agustin Nse Nfumu, said his government had detained 15 suspected mercenaries,
and declared they were an "advance party" for the group of 64
on board the impounded aircraft.
-
- He said the leader of the group, a white South African
called "Mick", had confessed to a plot to kill the president.
-
- However, Logo Logistics, in a statement sent to Sapa,
said that "contrary to some reports" the people on board the
aircraft were in transit to the DRC.
-
- "They are contracted to provide a range of services
to mining clients, including logistics, support services, asset and human
security, and communications".
-
- What had been described as "military" items
on board were in fact equipment such as boots, pipe-bending and wire-cutting
tools, the firm declared. Some of the contractors on board were South African
citizens, the company said.
-
- Its statement was not sourced to an individual, giving
merely an e-mail address and a telephone contact number in the United Kingdom.
The only reply was an electronic message.
-
- Rumours have since abounded about the occupants, destination,
and ownership of the aircraft. The US government denied that it was a US
aircraft and some sources stated it was registered in South Africa.
-
- On Tuesday South Africa's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
said the cargo plane was not registered in South Africa.
-
- "Our investigation shows that this aircraft is not
registered or even provisionally registered in South Africa. The "N"
indicates that this is a US-registered aircraft," said CAA spokesperson
Moses Seate.
-
- Logo Logistics said the aircraft was leased from an asset
management company Systems Design.
-
- "It is newly purchased, so it's still on the US
register. There is no other link with the US."
-
- The CAA also confirmed that the Boeing 727-100 departed
from Polokwane International Airport on Sunday. Whether it flew directly
to Zimbabwe was not known, the agency said.
-
- Logo said its equipment was normally acquired in South
Africa. It did not give details on the flight path of the aircraft before
it entered Zimbabwean air space.
-
- "We can make it clear that we have no current or
intended business in Zimbabwe and certainly no illegal intentions against
its government and people."
-
- The company said it was aware of the political sensitivities
of the Zimbabwean government.
-
- "However, we assume that, once the Zimbabwean authorities
have completed their work, it (our aircraft) can swiftly return to use."
-
- Logo Logistics said their first concern was the welfare
of the contractors.
-
- "They and their families have had an extremely distressing
time. It is our intention that they return to their homes for a few days
to recuperate before recommencing work."
-
- South Africa's foreign affairs department said it had
since Sunday been in close contact with Zimbabwean envoy Jerry Ndou.
-
- "Should the allegations that those South Africans
on board are involved in mercenary activities prove true, this would amount
to a serious breach of the Foreign Military Assistance Act," the department
said on Monday night.
-
- Logo Logistics denied their contractors had broken any
South African laws.
-
- "We appreciate that the South African government
may wish to debrief its citizens on their return from their ordeal, but
that is a different matter."
-
- The company's website states that it has so far operated
in African countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo, Angola, Zambia
and Mozambique.
-
- "Common key attributes" found in staff in its
service include "discretion, political sensitivity,(and) military
experience".
-
- Services offered by Logo Logistics include "risk
intelligence and assessment, support helicopter operations, service support
in harsh environments, (and) rough field and parachute air re-supply".
-
- South African foreign affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa
said on Tuesday night his department was not yet in a position to give
further comment on the matter. - Sapa
-
- Daily Mail & Guardian http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=32441
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