How a Belfast-based private eye stopped Simon Mann's African coup
The veteran mercenary Simon Mann, who died this month, had secretly worked with Sir Mark Thatcher, the son of the former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher, as he set out to topple the regime in Equatorial Guinea 21 years ago.
When the Sunday Times journalist Barrie Penrose heard whispers that a heavily armed coup d'état was being planned in London, he asked Ian Withers, an Irish-based private eye who operated offices in Belfast and Dublin, to help him do some digging.
Penrose connected Withers, a career investigator
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
6 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Teenagers behind rise in racist attacks in Ireland, special rapporteur says
Racist attacks in Ireland have intensified in recent months, with teenagers and young people perpetrating the majority of incidents, the special rapporteur on racial equality has said. Dr Ebun Joseph, chief executive of the Institute of Antiracism and Black Studies, who is also the special rapporteur for the National Plan Against Racism, said that a rise in incidents of crime involving members of minority communities is becoming a national crisis. Advertisement Recent attacks on members of the Indian community have been widely condemned. People take part in a silent assembly for migrant workers and their families outside the Department of the Taoiseach in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) The Ireland India Council believes there is an organised social media campaign against the Indian community in Ireland and the number of violent attacks has intensified since January this year. A large crowd gathered outside the Department of the Taoiseach on Wednesday for a silent assembly in support of migrant workers. Dr Joseph said that racism and racial crime is not a 'new thing' in Ireland. Advertisement 'It's been there. The black community, the Roma community, the new Traveller community have experienced racism in Ireland for years,' she said. 'This is not a new fight but in the last few months it has intensified. What is scary is that right now we have teenagers actually perpetrating these acts. 'Young people are being made to think that violence against another person because of the colour of their skin or where they are from or their accent, that to feel that is right to do is a major problem. This is national crisis.' A protester taking part in a silent assembly for migrant workers and their families outside the Department of the Taoiseach in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) Shashank Chakerwarti, of Desi Community Against Racism, said the protest also honours the dignity of victims of racist attacks. Advertisement 'Another person was severely lacerated on his eyebrow just yesterday. His brow was cut into two pieces. Images of that sends chills down your body. 'We want to send a clear message to the Taoiseach (Micheal Martin) that you need to control this teenage violence and criminal activity that is going on in Dublin. 'There's been a lot of content directly taken from the UK narrative, of migrants coming to Ireland via boats, but that is not the case. 'The far right are using that narrative and are applying it here which is completely incorrect. Advertisement 'There is a severe frustration that some individuals are feeling, especially in deprived communities and areas where you don't see a lot of investment and local services. 'They feel that third country people are taking their jobs and houses, but that is not the case at all.' He also called for the Government to introduce a campaign to encourage people to report hate crimes. 'We need to (educate) people on how to report racist crime, but there is no direct engagement with communities about this,' he added. Advertisement People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy was among those to take part in the protest. He said it is important to take a stand against racist violence. 'What we have seen on our streets over the past number of weeks is Indian people and others targeted with violent attacks because of the colour of their skin and where they are perceived to come from,' he said. People take part in a silent assembly for migrant workers and their families outside the Department of the Taoiseach in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) 'We need to push back against those who are pushing the racist lies and propaganda which is creating an environment where these attacks are taking place.' Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore said that racism has 'crept' into Irish society. 'We are at the point now where it is quite normalised for people to be racist in what they say on social media,' the Wicklow TD added. Ireland Finance Minister O'Dowd condemns 'racist' gangs pa... Read More 'It is important we have events and days like these where we stand and say this is not okay, it is not acceptable for racist attacks. 'There are racist elements who are allowed to say what they want without any come back. 'Our health system would collapse without many migrant communities and having that conversation of the value of migrants and also reflect on Irish people who have been migrants, it's something Irish people are very familiar with.'
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Israel wants to send Gazans to South Sudan
Israel is in talks with South Sudan to resettle Gazans in the war-torn African country, according to sources. An Israeli delegation is reportedly planning to visit South Sudan to explore the possibility of establishing camps for Palestinians, the Associated Press reported, following a visit to Israel by South Sudan's deputy foreign minister last week. Israel has repeatedly come under fire for raising the possibility of relocating Gazans from their homeland over fears of ethnic cleansing. Moving them from one land already ravaged by war and famine to another will only amplify that concern. News of the possible South Sudan deal broke after Benjamin Netanyahu went on Israeli television to revive discussion about relocating civilians from the strip. The idea was first proposed by Donald Trump, the US president, in February, who said the population should be removed and Gaza completely redeveloped – part of what he envisaged as a 'riviera' in the Middle East. The Israeli government has floated the idea of relocation, but always said that relocation should be voluntary. 'Give them the opportunity to leave, first of all, combat zones, and generally to leave the territory, if they want,' said Mr Netanyahu on Tuesday, in comments that did not mention South Sudan. 'We will allow this, first of all within Gaza during the fighting, and we will certainly allow them to leave Gaza as well.' He likened the situation to Syria, Ukraine and Afghanistan, all of which had seen large exoduses as a result of war. Numerous foreign capitals and international bodies have previously warned against the plan, with some questioning if resettlement from Gaza could be considered genuinely voluntary, given the catastrophic damage to infrastructure and the dire humanitarian situation. They have also voiced fears that voluntarily displaced Palestinians would not be allowed to return, citing comments made by Mr Netanyahu's ultra-nationalist coalition partners calling for the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza. A feature of the recent Operation Gideon's Chariot has been the wide-scale demolition of residential buildings, and it is likely the same tactic will be used in the upcoming assault on Gaza City, confirmed last week. Forcibly displacing a population could be considered a war crime. Associated Press reported multiple sources as confirming the current talks between Israel and South Sudan. Joe Szlavik, founder of a US lobbying company working for South Sudan, also confirmed that he had been briefed by South Sudanese officials on the talks. He said an Israeli delegation plans to visit the country to investigate the feasibility of setting up camps. Sharren Haskel, Israel's deputy foreign minister, is currently visiting the East African country. The first official visit by an Israeli government representative. In a statement, she said 'while the international community is focused solely on Gaza, South Sudan is facing a real humanitarian crisis and the threat of genuine famine'. Obvious destinations As neighbours with formal relations with Israel, Egypt and Jordan would be the most obvious destinations for any departing Palestinians. However, both have staunchly opposed any such scheme, despite significant pressure from Mr Trump. Israel is said to have held talks with Indonesia, Libya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Somaliland about the possibility of accepting Gazans, but it was reported that these had not borne fruit. South Sudan is in desperate need of foreign cash to help itself rebuild after years of instability and war with Sudan, its Arab-dominated neighbour. It has been reported that they accepted help from Israel's Mossad spy agency during their civil war with Khartoum. Sources said that any camps for displaced Gazans would be paid for by Israel. Emigration inevitable South Sudan also badly wants Mr Trump to lift the US travel ban on the country. Egypt has reportedly lobbied South Sudan not to co-operate with Israel on the scheme. In recent months, Mr Trump has sounded sanguine about the chances of his riviera scheme coming off, with all current the indications being that his administration now favours an Arab-led temporary administration for Gaza, once the war has ended. Shany Mor, a former director for foreign policy on Israel's National Security Council, now a lecturer at Reichman University, said that a certain amount of emigration was inevitable. 'When this war ends, Gaza will be in such a terrible state that it is impossible to see how it even begins to recover without some large, even temporary migration,' he said. 'It won't be the agreed policy of the Arab administration, but it will definitely happen to a limited but significant extent.' Palestine promise Mr Mor said he believed the prospect of Israel-overseeing a relocation scheme with South Sudan 'extremely unlikely'. The Jewish state's international reputation has taken a battering in recent weeks over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. Britain, France and a number of other prominent allies of Israel have promised to recognise Palestine, moves that have been branded a reward for terrorism. Christopher Luxon, the prime minister of New Zealand, said on Wednesday that Mr Netanyahu had 'lost the plot', describing the planned occupation of Gaza City as 'utterly unacceptable'. Meanwhile, the UN has put Israel and Russia 'on notice' over conflict-related sexual violenc e accusations.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Macron agree say France do bad tins during struggle for Cameroon independence
French President Emmanuel Macron don gree say France forces do bad bad tins for Cameroon during dia struggle for independence and even afta. Dis na afta one joint report by sabi history pipo from France and Cameroon wey chook eye for France suppression of independence movements from 1945 to 1971. For one letter to di Cameroon president Paul Biya wey don comot for public on Tuesday, Macron tok say di report dey clear say "war happun for Cameroon during di time di colonial authorities and di French army bin dey show some regions for di kontri real pepper." "Na me go carry di role and responsibility for those France events," im tok. But Macron neva issue clear apology for those bad tins wey di French troops do for di kontri wey don finally gain independence for 1960. Di France leader bin remember four independence icons wey dem kill during military operations by di French forces, including Ruben Um Nyobe, di ogbonge leader of di anti-colonialist UPC party. France bin push hundreds of thousands of Cameroonians into detention camps wey dem support brutalities just to stop di struggle for independence, di AFP news agency bin quote di report. Dem don kill tens of thousands of pipo between 1956 and 1961, di sabi history pipos report tok. Macron bin make di decision to investigate and publish di findings of di role France play for di kontris independence struggle for 2022, when im visit Yaunde. Dis come afta pipo from di kontri bin put pressure for France to accept say dem do bad bad tins for dia former colony, wey dem gat to pay reparation. Macron promise say im go work wit Cameroon to promote more research on top dis mata – wey im tok say di findings gat to dey available for universities and oda scientific bodies. Di BBC don reach out to di Cameroon govment for comment on di French president im admission. Even though Macron neva address di call for reparations, e dey likely to be di main point for Cameroon for future. Under Macron, France don try to deal wit dia brutal colonial past. Last year, di kontri bin acknowledge for di first time say dia soldiers don carry out "massacre" for Senegal in which dem kill West African troops for 1944. Bifor now Macron don agree to di role France bin play for di Rwanda genocide wia about 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus die, wey im ask for forgiveness. For 2021, im tok say France neva listen to di warning of di bloodshed wey for long time, dem bin "value silence over examination of di truth".
