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AFP
Africa's longest-ruling leader, Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema, made an unannounced visit Monday to Zimbabwe, which had helped foil a coup bid against him, and pledged to boost ties.

"We are looking forward to establish cooperation links that will enable us strengthen this relationship more in terms of implementing projects, and other issues," Nguema told reporters after meeting President Robert Mugabe.

They also discussed development issues, said Obiang, who is the current head of the African Union.

Nguema said bilateral ties were strengthened after Zimbabwean police in 2004 arrested British mercenary Simon Mann and 69 others who were on their way to join a coup attempt against him in the oil-rich west African country.

"That brought us closer and makes our bond much stronger," said Nguema, in remarks translated by an interpreter. Mugabe did not speak to the press.

Obiang's visit was kept under wraps until the last minute, and independent media were not informed of the trip.

Earlier on Monday, the Equatorial Guinea strongman met with South African President Jacob Zuma after attending the ruling African National Congress' centenary celebrations over the weekend.

Obiang took power in Equatorial Guinea in a 1979 coup, while Mugabe is Africa's third-longest-serving leader, having ruled Zimbabwe since 1980.

Zimbabwe extradited Mann to Equatorial Guinea in 2007. He was sentenced to 34 years in prison but was pardoned in 2009.

Since 2004, Obiang has visited Harare and invited Zimbabwean business leaders to visit the capital Malabo.

The visits have generated talk of an oil deal between struggling Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea, but none has been signed yet.

Mugabe arrived home Monday after a vacation in Asia.

The visit follows Obiang's trip to Angola in November, when he met with President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who assumed office just weeks after Obiang, in September 1979.