France said on Thursday one of its military helicopters carrying six soldiers had been detained after landing in Equatorial Guinea, in a diplomatic incident that demonstrated the strained ties between Malabo and Paris. The helicopter landed in Equatorial Guinea’s mainland port of Bata on Wednesday evening, hours after a French court upheld a guilty verdict in an embezzlement case against Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President Teodoro Obiang Mangue. Neither side spoke publicly of any link between the two incidents. French military spokesman Colonel Pascal Ianni said the six soldiers on board the helicopter were not armed. It was travelling from Douala in neighbouring Cameroon to a French military base in Libreville, Gabon and had stopped in Bata to refuel, he said, denying any intent to harm Equatorial Guinea. But Equatorial State radio has reported that the helicopter landed without authorisation.
SOURCE: REUTERS
More Stories
Las Vegas Resident’s Three-week Adventure through Egypt
Tunisia Needs “Deep Reforms” Such as Drastically Reducing its Vast Public Wage Bill
Credit Unions in Africa Switch to Fintech
Ghana’s Low Tax-to-GDP Ratio Makes it Hard to Finance its Developmental Agenda
Truck Delays at the Border Wreak Havoc for Uganda’s Fuel Users
Airlines Operating on the Continent Face Particular Challenges
The Inclusion of Rwanda as a Potential Relocation Destination for Migrants Raises Eyebrows
Sudanese Demand Return to Civilian Rule in Deadly Riots
Abuja Shows Off Impressive Rice Yield in Bid to Stop Rice Imports
Bain & Company Leaves South African Business Board
Economic Perks of Growing Cycling Culture in North Africa
The Bank of Uganda Lowers Limits on the Value of Cheque Payments to Promote e-payments