CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
|
Equatorial Guinea Between oil and democracy |
HUMAN RIGHTS
Due to the discovery of oil, Guinea holds a major trump card,
but the government
has difficulty in embracing democracy.
Equatorial Guinea’s President is Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the founder of the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), which has held power since 1979 when he overthrew his uncle, Francisco Macias Nguema, the first President of an independent Equatorial Guinea. The presidential family which dominates all the apparatus of state, has adopted a lavish lifestyle since the discovery of oil fields by American companies. With its oil wealth, Equatorial Guinea holds a major trump card.
However, the government finds it hard to take on board democracy. Since independence in 1986 it has always had the reputation of being a dictatorship under a tropical sun. Though the last municipal elections were represented to the European Union as «one of the essential elements of the democratisation process», the road to democracy is still very long. Even if the discovery of several oil wells promises the dawn of a new era of prosperity for the people, still only 10% of them now enjoy this manna.
Human Rights
The passenger who alights from a plane and crosses the little hangar of Malabo airport will not be at ease until he/she has finished all the formalities of the police and the customs. The reception by the frontier police is rather rough. Questions succeed each other on the reasons for his presence in Equatorial Guinea. Since the discovery of oil, Equatorial Guineans display a kind of nationalism which is less than favourable to strangers who wish to live on the little island, particularly if a person has an African passport.
«Human rights are respected. There must be some exaggeration in the complaints.... The press is free and there are no restrictions», is the reaction of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who has been accused of using torture. In response, the US State Department declared that the press is severely restricted in Equatorial Guinea. Last August, still on the defensive, Equatorial Guinea’s head of state denounced «the interference and the manoeuvres» of the International Monetary Fund in Africa and in his own country, saying that «they represented a brake on the development of African countries». In the middle of March, a dispatch from Associated Press, indicated that the President of Equatorial Guinea had rejected the allegations published in February in the State Department’s report on human rights on torture and lack of freedom of the press. President Nguema had declared that this report was out of date and did not take into account «the enormous efforts at democratisation of the country». Besides, he expressed a desire, during a forum for the promotion of the press and freedom of expression, that the United States embassy should be re-opened in his country after five years of closure.
Unprecedented rapid expansion of the economy
For a long time, Guinea was looked on as one of the poorest countries in Africa. However, the discovery of oil, five years ago, has transformed this little country and increased the ambitions of its rulers. Production, which at the moment stands at 120,000 barrels a day, is expected to rise in the course of the next few months. The country is experiencing an untold rapid economic expansion. The state budget rose from 8 billion CFA francs to 80 billion in 1998 and to 100 billion in 2000.
In a sudden burst of pride, Mr Teodoro Obiang Nguema stressed that «when Guinea had not yet discovered its underground resources, we fulfilled the conditions imposed on us by the IMF for a program of structural adjustment. Later on, the IMF imposed a further program of structural adjustment and when we refused, they abandoned us... But miracle of miracles, when oil was discovered, the IMF came back with a packet of conditions which I rejected. We are still negotiating...»
Between 1993 and 1996. the Human Rights Commission and the UN Program for Development paid particular attention to the situation, and sent several observer missions. These latter suggested that the country should fulfil its obligations by restoring democracy, respecting human rights, improving of the conditions of prisoners and detained persons; in particular it should put an end to arbitrary arrests and detention, torture and inhuman treatment which debases the human person. The commission for human rights also called on the government to improve the condition of women, and encouraged it to enter into dialogue with all political shades, with the aim of promoting the democratic process of the country by consensus. It also called on the government to facilitate the return of exiles and refugees, and to allow all citizens to share in political, social and cultural life.
In fact a small effort in advancing the democratic process could be noticed in the recent municipal elections of March 2000. The government had granted 3 million CFA francs to each political party. Officially this money came from the «Fund for Democracy» which had recently received a grant by the head of state of 39 million CFA francs.
Madrid and Malabo
In spite of this small advance in the area of democracy, Equatorial Guinea, a former Spanish colony of 450,000 inhabitants, has difficulty in getting use to the democratic ethos. It is a police state and its citizens are afraid to speak out because of fear of reprisals.
Though the economic situation must inevitably improve and allow the country to report an exceptional GDP, the country still tries to iron out its misunderstandings with Spain. President Nguema has explained through press releases that «the problem between Spain and Equatorial Guinea resides in the manner in which we conduct our democratic process... We have observed interference in this process by some diplomats not only from Spain but also from the United States. We have condemned this interference.» In spite of the slight coolness between Madrid and Malabo, the Guinean government is anxious to renew cooperation between the two countries.
With the victory of the PDGE in the local elections (see endnote) the Spanish ambassador in Malabo has been recalled to Madrid for consultation following a diplomatic incident. The Spanish minister for foreign affairs had demanded that an end should be put to «the string of incidents with the representatives of Spain who are posted to Malabo.» Following this incident, Spain reduced by half its aid for Equatorial Guinea. This reduction was relayed by Spanish newspapers which were continuing their campaign against the former colony, and by the Spanish overseas radio service which devotes an hour each week to Equatorial Guinea.
This year the UNPD has given nearly 700 million CFA francs for a program of local development, with particular emphasis on empowering ordinary people so that the whole population can share in the development process of the country.
The oil miracle driven forward by Americans
Since the beginning of oil exploration in 1992, many groups of American managerial staff and technicians have taken up residence in the country and their number continues to increase. The Alba oil field began production in 1992 and the Zafiro field which went into production in 1997 are both on the island of Bioko where the capital Malabo is also situated. American oil companies, Triton, Exxon, Mobil and Chevron have made up for the first failed exploratory bore holes in the fifties, by the Spanish company Cepsa, in association with the American company Gulf and then by Conoco and Chevron. According to estimates, production in 2001 should reach nine million tonnes.
The Cameroonians and the Malians who form the majority of African immigrants are outstanding in providing services and ordinary trades. Their sense of initiative is very disturbing, and their arrival at border posts develops into strong armed questioning. Had the President not declared: «We have nothing against foreigners, but we do not want unemployed people who are seeking prosperity. We want to have those who will help to transfer technology...«To avoid isolation, the former Spanish colony, a member of Francophonie since 1989, has in January 1998, adopted French as the second official language after Spanish.
For many long years, power has been concentrated in the hands of President Obiang Nguema, who together with his family, has all the new riches of the country at their disposal. Though the government expressed a desire to re-launch the cultivation of cocoa and the fishing industry, all resources have been concentrated on oil production which earns a lot of foreign exchange for the country. With the oil boom, corruption very quickly raised its head. In fact corruption was rampant under the previous government which had to resign for this very reason.
Because of its oil, it is Equatorial Guinea’s ambition to play an important role in central Africa. But without the consent of the people who aspire to social wellbeing, combined with the stubborn persistence of governments not to give up some of their sovereignty, the country could be heading for more instability orchestrated by their opponents in exile.
Author’s note: In the absence of the three radical opposition parties: Convergence for Social Democracy, the Popular Union, and the Democratic Progressive Alliance who boycotted the polls, calling them «an electoral farce», most people were rather uninterested in the whole electoral process.
ENGLISH CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 2001 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement