Zim sends troops to Equatorial Guinea
Zimbabwe has deployed a contingent of elite security forces to Equatorial Guinea to provide security during the 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations.
The deployment is at the invitation of the government of Equatorial Guinea which will bear all the costs for the duration of the continental football showcase.
The contingent that consists of members of the defence forces, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and members of other security services left Harare on Monday afternoon.
The contingent was seen off at Manyame Airbase by Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces General Constantine Chiwenga who implored them to lift the country’s flag high in Equatorial Guinea.
Bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea were strengthened in 2004 when Harare intercepted mercenaries who were en route to Malabo to stage a coup d’état and eliminate President Theodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean contingent arrived in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday.
They will also be joined by their SADC counterparts as Angola has also deployed police officers.
Equatorial Guinea offered to host the AFCON 2015 after Morocco was stripped of the right to host the event.
Morocco had asked for the tournament to be postponed citing the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Qatar had offered to host the tournament but Equatorial Guinea volunteered to host the showcase and launched an operation called “African Pride” together with Zimbabwe and Angola.
