 
CHANNELS SPACEWAR WIRE MILITARY SPACE UAV NEWS MILITARY COMMS CYBERWARS MISSILE NEWS RAYGUNS TERRORWARS SPACEDAILY TERRADAILY MARSDAILY SPACE TRAVEL SPACEMART SPACE DATABASE  SERVICES |  
Nigeria has sent a warship to patrol off the coast of Equatorial Guinea amid allegations that foreign mercenaries are seeking to overthrow the government there, a senior Nigerian official said Thursday. "It's just to register Nigeria's place as a peacemaking country, a country that delights in peace and tranquility, not only for itself but for its neighbours," said Remi Oyo, spokeswoman for President Olusegun Obasanjo. The ship was deployed from Nigeria's southeastern port of Calabar last weekend and is now patrolling off Bioko, Equatorial Guinea's main offshore island and the seat of its capital Malabo, according to reports in Nigeria. Last week, the government of Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema arrested 15 foreign nationals and accused them of being mercenaries and of planning to launch a coup d'etat in favour of an exiled opposition leader. At the same time, Equatorial Guinean security forces began a sweep to round up suspected illegal immigrants, expelling hundreds of west and central Africans. More than 100 Nigerians took refuge in their embassy. But Oyo emphasised that Nigeria remains a friend to its near neighbour, which lies just 100 kilometres (62 miles) off its southern coast. Both countries have significant oil fields under the Gulf of Guinea. "Equatorial Guinea remains a close ally of Equatorial Guinea," she said. "If there's a threat to peace anywhere, there's a threat to peace in Nigeria, there's a threat to peace in west Africa," she added. Asked if Obiang's government had requested the deployment, she said simply: "Our ship is there and Equatorial Guinea is not against it." Nigeria has west Africa's most powerful military, and has been the backbone of international peacekeeping missions in Liberia and Sierra Leone, but has a limited naval strength based around four former World War II US patrol ships. All rights reserved. Copyright 2003 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse. Quick Links
|
|
| The contents herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2002 - SpaceDaily. AFP Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |