Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe Make Energy Deal

Equatorial Guinea has signed an agreement with Zimbabwe that will see the two African countries trading energy resources. The trading could be more symbolic than anything else as Zimbabwe does not have any energy resources to speak of.

Rumors floated about the deal which would include the extradition of Simon Mann, who is currently imprisoned in Zimbabwe for participating in a bid to topple the government of Equatorial Guinea. Authorities have stressed that the venture is “strictly commercial” and has nothing to so with Simon Mann. “Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe have signed a purely commercial agreement for energy resources, to be bought and sold at market rates,” the report said without giving details of when the agreement was signed.

Ties between Harare and Malabo were cemented two years ago when 70 suspected mercenaries led by Mann were captured at Harare International Airport, allegedly on their way to topple the government of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

Two weeks ago, Equatorial Guinea’s Attorney General Jose Olo Obono was quoted as saying Zimbabwe had agreed to extradite Mann within the next two months. Zimbabwe’s attorney general claimed to have no knowledge of the deal.

The deal with Harare “is a public, fair and legal transaction between two sovereign countries trading a global commodity,” the report quoted a senior mines official from Equatorial Guinea as saying. Equatorial Guinea is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s key producers of crude; Zimbabwe on the other hand suffers from perennial fuel shortages.