Six French soldiers were arrested at Bata airport in Equatorial Guinea on Thursday morning while stopping to refuel their helicopter, according to the French military and local media.
The six, whom the army said were still awaiting permission to take off, were arrested a day after a court in Paris confirmed the conviction of Central African country’s vice president Teodorin Obiang for accumulating luxury real estate with illegally obtained funds.
“They landed on Wednesday at 13:15 GMT because they ran out of fuel. That was when a series of administrative inconveniences began,” French Army spokesman Pascal Ianni told AFP, adding that negotiations with local officials were ongoing.
On Thursday, Equatorial Guinea’s state radio TVGE reported that the helicopter had landed without a permit.
The reports also said that the six soldiers were interrogated at the central police station in Bata.
“National authorities do not rule out that this incident may be a spy operation and provocation on the part of Paris,” TVGE reported.
But Ianni said the landing had nothing to do with espionage.
“This incident is similar to the one we have dealt with before. They are holding the helicopter and its crew,” Ianni said.
A second anonymous French military source added that all necessary permits had been obtained for the tank stop.
“We stay regularly in Bata, but we also have regular coordination problems with Bata Airport,” said the source, adding that “the control tower in excessive nativity does not allow landing.”
The helicopter, an unarmed Fennec model, made a logistical escape between Cameroon’s economic hub in Douala and Gabon’s capital Libreville, where the French military has a base.
(AFP)
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