The passing of British mercenary, Simon Mann reminds us on the role he played in an attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea. Mann who died on Friday from a heart attack was arrested and sentenced to 34 years in prison. In his book ‘Cry havoc’ he talks about the role he played in various African countries and who was behind funding them and why. So in this hour we thought to look at why Africa continues to be a fertile playground for mercenaries? Are African leaders to blame for bringing them in their quest for power? Top business people are also alleged to be hiring them to protect their interests. Why Africa though? To help us navigate this subject, we are joined by…

Guest: Willem Els - Senior Training Coordinator on Terrorism and Explosive Related Incidents at the Institute of Security Studies

Guest: Kabasu Babu Katulondi - African Politics Analyst and writer

Guest: Nixon Katembo - African specialist and executive producer at Channel Africa’s Kiswahili Desk