LIBREVILLE (AFP) – The Central African Republic's government said Saturday it had foiled a plan to launch a coup d'etat next week, with intelligence implicating former president Ange Felix Patasse who strongly denied any involvement.

National Security Minister Jules Bernard Ouande said in a recorded radio statement obtained by AFP that the government obtained detailed information on Friday about a plan by unnamed soldiers and politicians to overthrow President Francois Bozize.

“It was marked 'Plan of Attack',” Ouande said, reading the document over Radio Centrafrica.

“I can tell you that when it obtained this information, the Central African government took all necessary action,” Ouande said in the statement. The coup was to have been launched Monday with meetings of those involved, including “commandos, mercenaries, kamikazes and militiamen.”

The next stages, including distribution of weapons.