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Article: The big African oil grab
- Article from:
- New Statesman
- Article date:
- April 14, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright New Statesman Ltd. Apr 14, 2008. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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EQUATORIAL GUINEA
The government of Equatorial Guinea is getting good value from the imminent trial of Simon Mann, the Old Etonian mercenary accused of leading a failed coup attempt there. He appeared on British television last month to confess - under the watchful eye of officials from Equatorial Guinea that conditions in the country weren't as bad as he had been led to believe. Then, to the delight of journalists captivated by this Dogs ofWar tale of conspiracy and cockup, the government said it wanted to arrest Sir Mark Thatcher, son of the former prime minister.
So far, so Frederick Forsyth. But a more interesting and important tale remains largely untold. In this parallel narrative, ...