HARARE – Zimbabwe has impounded a US-registered aircraft which landed at Harare airport with military equipment and 64 suspected mercenaries, Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi announced yesterday.
However, a US State Department official denied that the plane was registered in the United States, though it might once have been. “It is not a US registered aircraft right now,” the official said on condition of anonymity.Mohadi said that a “United States of America-registered Boeing 727-100 cargo plane was detained last (Sunday) night at about 19h30 at Harare International Airport after its owners had made a false declaration of its cargo and crew”.”The plane was actually carrying 64 suspected mercenaries of various nationalities,” the minister told a press conference.”Further investigations also revealed that on board the plane was military material.”President Robert Mugabe has repeatedly accused the US government and the former colonial power, Britain, of trying to oust him from power since he was re-elected in controversial polls two years ago.Mohadi said full details would be issued in due course but that in the meantime investigations were under way to establish the “true identities of the men and their ultimate mission”.The plane, whose origin has not been established, has been moved to a military airbase, AFP was told.What had been done with the men aboard was not immediately clear.A US embassy official in Harare said “We know nothing about it” and the mystery deepened when the official in Washington confirmed: “It is not a US government or a US commercial aircraft as far as we know.- Nampa-AFP”It is not a US registered aircraft right now,” the official said on condition of anonymity.Mohadi said that a “United States of America-registered Boeing 727-100 cargo plane was detained last (Sunday) night at about 19h30 at Harare International Airport after its owners had made a false declaration of its cargo and crew”.”The plane was actually carrying 64 suspected mercenaries of various nationalities,” the minister told a press conference.”Further investigations also revealed that on board the plane was military material.”President Robert Mugabe has repeatedly accused the US government and the former colonial power, Britain, of trying to oust him from power since he was re-elected in controversial polls two years ago.Mohadi said full details would be issued in due course but that in the meantime investigations were under way to establish the “true identities of the men and their ultimate mission”.The plane, whose origin has not been established, has been moved to a military airbase, AFP was told.What had been done with the men aboard was not immediately clear.A US embassy official in Harare said “We know nothing about it” and the mystery deepened when the official in Washington confirmed: “It is not a US government or a US commercial aircraft as far as we know.- Nampa-AFP
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