New Delhi: Michael Hoare, known as “Mad Mike” has passed away in South Africa aged 100. He gained notoriety as a mercenary after his campaign in Congo where he fought against the communist forces who had gained control of nearly two-thirds of the country. His career came to an end after a failed coup in Seychelles.
Mike Hoare was born in Kolkata to Irish parents. At age 20, Mike Hoare joined the British armed forces and fought in Burma and India during the second world war. After the end of the war, he completed training in accountancy and migrated to South Africa where he ran Safaries. He was hired by European forces in Congo where he led two separate white mercenary groups. His first mercenary action was in Katanga, a province which was trying to break away from Congo and second against the Simba Rebellion group which had taken control of large sections of Congo. These successful campaigns helped him rise to fame. The film, The Wild Geese, for which Hoare was hired as a technical adviser, was based on his campaign in Congo.
In 1981 Hoare tried to overthrow the government of the Seychelles. Hoare and his group of 50 mercenaries disguised themselves as rugby players, and hid AK-47s in the bottom of their luggage, as he explained in his book The Seychelles Affair. The group landed in Seychelles planning a coup against the self-declared prime minister. By mistake one of the mercenaries went in the “something-to-declare” line at customs at the airport and ended up revealing his ammunition. After a series of firing at the airport, the mercenaries managed to negotiate a ceasefire. An Air India plane which landed during the firing was hijacked by the mercenaries and taken to South Africa. In the Aftermath, 49 of the 50 mercenaries were convicted. Hoare was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for hijacking and spent 33 months in prison until his release after a Christmas Presidential amnesty.
05/02/20 Ayush Patnaik/Print
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Mike Hoare was born in Kolkata to Irish parents. At age 20, Mike Hoare joined the British armed forces and fought in Burma and India during the second world war. After the end of the war, he completed training in accountancy and migrated to South Africa where he ran Safaries. He was hired by European forces in Congo where he led two separate white mercenary groups. His first mercenary action was in Katanga, a province which was trying to break away from Congo and second against the Simba Rebellion group which had taken control of large sections of Congo. These successful campaigns helped him rise to fame. The film, The Wild Geese, for which Hoare was hired as a technical adviser, was based on his campaign in Congo.
In 1981 Hoare tried to overthrow the government of the Seychelles. Hoare and his group of 50 mercenaries disguised themselves as rugby players, and hid AK-47s in the bottom of their luggage, as he explained in his book The Seychelles Affair. The group landed in Seychelles planning a coup against the self-declared prime minister. By mistake one of the mercenaries went in the “something-to-declare” line at customs at the airport and ended up revealing his ammunition. After a series of firing at the airport, the mercenaries managed to negotiate a ceasefire. An Air India plane which landed during the firing was hijacked by the mercenaries and taken to South Africa. In the Aftermath, 49 of the 50 mercenaries were convicted. Hoare was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for hijacking and spent 33 months in prison until his release after a Christmas Presidential amnesty.
05/02/20 Ayush Patnaik/Print
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