Kostas Georgiou

Kostas Georgiou , Greek : Κώστας Γιώργιου, (* 1951 ; † July 10, 1976 in Luanda) was a British mercenary of Cypriot origin known under the pseudonym "Colonel Callan" . He had served in the British 1st Paratrooper Regiment and was dishonorably discharged for a robbery on a post office in Northern Ireland.

Georgiou moved to London with his family in the early 1960s.

Georgiou was the FNLA (National Liberation Front of Angola - People's Liberation Front in Angola , led by Holden Roberto , also from the US - Secret CIA recruited together British with a troop, American and Dutch mercenaries was indirectly supported). He allegedly killed spies and deserters himself and terrorized the men under his command. They themselves used violence and torture against soldiers and civilians without hindrance.

He was wounded and later captured while on a suicide mission against a much stronger Cuban brigade. The communist MPLA (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola - People's Liberation Movement for Angola) wanted to make the crimes of the mercenaries public and brought ten British and three Americans to court in Luanda , the capital of Angola. They were accused of being hired assassins. The trial, which began on June 27, 1976, and the brutalities that were raised, drew media attention and sparked general outrage against mercenaries and all those involved in the trade. Georgiou aka Callan and three other mercenaries, the two Britons Andrew Gordon McKenzie and John Derek Barker and the American Daniel Gearhart Francis were, on 10 July 1976 executed .

literature

• Anthony Mockler: The new mercenaries . Corgi Books, London 1986, ISBN 0-552-12558-X , pp. 203-308
• Raul Valdes Vivo, Angola - The end of the mercenary myth , military publisher of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin, 1st edition 1977

Web links

• "1976: Death sentence for mercenaries" - article on BBC News (Eng.)