2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt assault rifles, 150 hand grenades, 10 rocket-propelled grenade launchers (and 100 RPG shells), and 75,000 rounds of ammunition. Mann said he wanted the rifles, mortars and ammunition to guard diamond mines in volatile parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was alleged that those arrested in Zimbabwe made a stopover in Harare city to buy weapons and expected to join a team in Equatorial Guinea to overthrow President Obiang. Nick du Toit, the leader of the group of arrested in Equatorial Guinea, said at his trial in Equatorial Guinea that he was recruited by Simon Mann and that he
2002 Equatorial Guinean presidential election results. Turnout was estimated at 98%. 2002 Equatorial Guinean presidential election A presidential election was held in Equatorial Guinea on 15 December 2002. Incumbent President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo easily won another term; the opposition boycotted the election. The four opposition candidates withdrew their candidacy on the day of the election. The first opposition candidate to withdraw was Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS) candidate Celestino Bonifacio Bacalé. He denounced the election, saying that "voting is totally fraudulent at every level. In 90% of the polling stations, the vote is being carried out in public, and people are being obliged to