The Failed Equatorial Guinea Coup of 2004: When Margaret Thatcher’s Son Tried to Take Over an African Country

When a group of moneyed English gentlemen and ex-South African soldiers set out to take over an oil-rich African country, they didn’t bank on the fact that Africa has changed since the days of colonialism.

Way back in 1883, King Leopold of Belgium wrote the following letter to a group of missionaries who would travel to Congo. Two years later, Leopold would become the absolute monarch of Congo, a land of fabulous resource wealth and terrible human poverty. He won the agreement of other European states by convincing them that his aims were philanthropic; that he would help the Congolese people. However, he went on to use his rule to enrich only himself.

“Reverends, Fathers and Dear Compatriots: Your task is delicate and requires much tact. You will go to the Congo to evangelize, but your evangelisation must inspire above all Belgian interests. Your principal objective is not to teach the niggers to know God. They know him already.
Your role is to facilitate the task of administrators and industry. You will interpret the gospel in the way that is best to protect your interests in the Congo. To do this, you must make sure to disinterest the savages from the richness that lives under their feet.
If they become interested in it, they will make murderous competition and dream of overthrowing you. Evangelize the niggers so that they stay forever in submission to the white colonialists, so they never revolt against the restraints they are undergoing.”

Leopold plundered Congo for ivory, rubber and minerals which he sold on the…