Month: February 2015

27.02.2015

On 26 February, Chatham House in London hosted a symposium on social and developmental progress in Equatorial Guinea, called Equatorial Guinea: Development, Growth and Governance. This event was attended by representatives from Shell and BP, while Robin Gwynn of Lonrho chaired the event.

The main speech of the symposium was delivered by Equatorial Guinea’s Secretary of State for Planning and Development, H.E. César A. Mba Abogo. During his speech, he discussed development and governance in Equatorial Guinea as they relate to the country’s Horizon 2020 National Development Programme. He noted that Equatorial Guinea has made great strides in both areas in recent years, particularly in the infrastructural and health sectors.

He noted that the country is also working towards fulfilling all the Millennium Development Goals prescribed by the United Nations, particularly in regards to the Global Partnership for Development wherein Equatorial Guinea has made the largest contribution to date towards the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) programme.

27.02.2015

On 23 February, Miguel Ntutumu Evuna Andeme presented his credentials to the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, as the new Ambassador of Equatorial Guinea.

Before being named Ambassador, Evuna Andeme was the General Director of Cabinet at the Department of Missions in the Presidency of the Republic in Malabo, and was previously Director General for Administrative Affairs for the Presidency.

Ambassador Evuna Andeme received his Bachelor’s in International Studies from La Roche College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2003. While at La Roche, he co-founded the International Forum of African Students.

Evuna Andeme was assisted to the presentation of credentials ceremony by his wife and five children.

27.02.2015

Malabo, February 26, 2015

After the presentation of theAnnual Report of the organization Amnesty International 2014-2015, on Wednesday, February 25, in London (UK), the Government of Equatorial Guinea wants to alert the institutions and the media about the very serious allegations and false information that it contains in regard to our country:

1. False accusation of executions

AI’s report denounces “the execution of nine people in January 2014 in Equatorial Guinea, thirteen days before the establishment of a temporary moratorium on the death penalty.” This information is totally false, since neither in January nor in all of 2014, were any executions carried out in Equatorial Guinea. The lack of rigor of this false claim is observed in the lack of data, since AI does not cite even one of the names of the people supposedly executed, no dates, no causes, no details. We believe that AI was not properly documented for issuing such serious charges, nor do they have any other purpose than to mar the name of the Government and People of Equatorial Guinea.

The Government of Equatorial Guinea requests AI to amend that statement publicly.

2. Arrests and torture

The Government of Equatorial Guinea also denies that during 2014 there were any arrests of political opponents. Nor has there been a single case of solitary confinement, much less with the aggravators of denial of trial or medical assistance mentioned by AI. Similarly, we deny the allegations of torture that appear in the report.

Just the contrary, over the past year, the Government of Equatorial Guinea has worked closely with international organizations to improve the conditions of prisoners and prison centers, which now offer good food, television and physicians, doctor offices and other health care. It is also a fact that the representatives of theNational Human Rights Commission, the Attorney General, and the International Red Cross made regular inspection visits to prisons, police stations and other holding and/or arrest centers in the Country.

3. General Amnesty Decree and  National Dialogue

Indeed, the Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea issued Decree number 127/2014, dated October 21, granting general amnesty granted to all those convicted of political crimes and who were in legal proceedings for the same offenses.

With the amnesty, freedom was given to three people, two women and a man with the names of Mercedes Obono Nkoni, Emilia Andemeand Alejandro Nguema Nve, who were arrested for political reasons, prior to 2014, and not to the prisoner Cipriano Nguema Mba, who was tried and convicted years ago for diverting the salary of all the Military members of the Continental Region and attempted rebellion in the army.

Amnesty is a measure that the Government applied to promote national reconciliation, unity, solidarity and social cohesion, for a strong and broad consensus on issues of national interest and to preserve peace and political and social stability in the nation, which we all want to continue in the country.

During the year 2014, the Head of State of Equatorial Guinea also called a National Dialogue that brought together, between the days of 7 and 15 November, members of the Government with representatives of the legalized opposition, and parties of the opposition in the diaspora. This meeting was carried out with complete normalcy and was an international public demonstration of the will of the actors to settle their political differences through dialogue and consensus, praised by numerous and important groups, organizations and international personalities such as Jacob Zuma, the President of South Africa.

The success of this meeting was endorsed in the signing of the Final Minutes, with the signatures of the Legalized Political Parties in the country: PDGE, CLD, UDS, APGE, ADP, CSDP, UDENA, PCSD, PSGE, UP; by the political actors of the Diaspora (PND, CI, FRENALIGE, MONALIGE, MAIB). And also by the Independent Actors and Representatives of leaders of Parties that participated in the National Dialogue.

In the Final Report it is recorded that during the sessions of Saturday, November 8, and after rejecting the claims presented outside the Agenda adopted through its rules of procedure, the Delegation of the CPDS, accompanied by the Independent Candidature (CI), the Center Right Union (UCD), the National Congress of Equatorial Guinea (CNGE), a faction of UP, Republican Democratic Force (FDR) and the Movement for Self-Determination of the Island of Bioko (MAIB), unilaterally abandoned the National Dialogue. In the same Final Report, it was also stated that during the following working session, after reconsidering their position by seeing that the Reform of the Constitution, the formulation of the new Constituting Process, the liberation of all the prisoners (which were their principal demands) was not within the competence of the Dialogue, the delegations of the Independent Candidature (CI), the Movement for Self-Determination of the Island of Bioko (MAIB), the Center Right Union (UCD) and the National Congress of Equatorial Guinea (CNGE) returned to the Dialogue and signed the Final Report thereof.

Conclusions:

The Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea has prohibited all forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, something that is also included in the Basic Law and in the Law number 6/2006 of our legal system.

At present, important work is being carried out to improve the knowledge and absolute application of human rights in all the areas of the forces of law and order.

The National Security Authorities have published manuals in which arrests and torture are strictly prohibited, under penalties and measures that include even the separation from the service and other punishing measures.

In May 2014, the International Community, gathered in the Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, approved the Universal Periodic Review of Equatorial Guinea. Our country accepted 80 of the 132 Recommendations and conditioned the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court on the evolution of the times within the law that assists it as a free and sovereign Country, under the shelter of the unanimous decision adopted by the African Union in general on this point.

The Government of Equatorial Guinea wants to protest to the media and the international community for the defamation made by some organizations such as AI which, far from observing with impartiality and an objective analysis the actions that are being carried out in a country such as Equatorial Guinea, publishes on the international level a report full of false data, with no type of veracity.

We consider that an organization such as AI, given its international transcendence,must prepare its reports with seriousness, impartiality and with objective, rigorous and documented work. We express our surprise at an organization such as AI presenting these invented stories as a serious report.

In several countries of the world, from the East to the West, including some of the most consolidated democracies, the death penalty continues being applied. And those countries do not lead the lists of Amnesty International. Equatorial Guinea has promised to eliminate the death penalty and is proud to be a peaceful country, with respect for human rights and the right of all the towns and people to live in peace.

Signed:

Teobaldo Nchaso Matomba
Minister of Information, Press and Radio
Minister Spokesman of the Government

Originally posted at: http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=6286

Image: Group photo of the National Dialogue participants, November 2014. guineaecuatorialpress.com

26.02.2015

The Secretary of State for Planning & Development, H. E. César Mba Abogo, is in London for a series of events where he will go over the details of the Horizon 2020 Development Plan—the strategy which delineates the Government of Equatorial Guinea’s roadmap towards the country’s continued economic diversification. This plan, financed through the Social Development Fund, seeks to create sustainable development through a focus on the already-completed major infrastructures, and through improvement in healthcare and education, among other achievements. The Horizon 2020 plan is also open to international and regional collaboration.

One of the events scheduled is part of Chatham House’s Africa Programme, Equatorial Guinea: Development, Growth & Governance. The event will take place on 26 February at Chatham House in London, and will focus on the framework and development of the Horizon 2020 plan.

On 27 February, the Royal African Society will host a breakfast at Simpson’s-in-the-Strand to go over the Horizon 2020 plan as well as possible investment opportunities for UK businesses in Equatorial Guinea during the second phase of the 2020 strategy.

26.02.2015

On Wednesday, Secretary of State for Planning and Development for the Government of Equatorial Guinea, H.E. César Mba Abogo, and Ambassador of Equatorial Guinea to the United Kingdom, H.E. Mari-Cruz Evuna Andeme, met with President and CEO of the Kuwait Investment Office (KIO) in London, Mr Osama A. Al-Ayoub, and the institution’s COO, Mr Ian J. Dennis.

During this meeting, the four discussed two main issues. First, the Secretary requested support from the KIO in the government’s continued implementation of Holdings Equatorial Guinea 2020—the body created by the Government of Equatorial Guinea to manage and supervise its investment fund.

Following this, the Secretary extended an invitation to Mr Al-Ayoub to visit Equatorial Guinea to engage in further discussions on how cooperation can be fostered and supported between the government and the KIO. Mr Al-Ayoub accepted the invitation to travel to the country.

The KIO and the Embassy of Equatorial Guinea in London will work jointly and exchange information to fulfil both of these requests.

25.02.2015

H.E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, accompanied by H.E. Denis Sassou Nguesso, both as special envoys of the ECCAS, traveled on Monday, February 23, to Abuja (Nigeria) and Accra (Ghana) to hold meetings with the presidents of the two countries, in relation to the actions to be taken against the terrorist group Boko Haram.

The purpose of the visit of the two presidents, special envoys of the  Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) was to hold awareness meetings with the Heads of State of Nigeria and Ghana, H.E. Goodluck Jonathan and H.E. John Dramani Mahama, respectively, to schedule a meeting between the community and the western sister institution, ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), in order to take quick action to solve the problem of the terrorist group Boko Haram, which at present is already crossing borders.

The first meeting was held in the installations of the Kotoka International Airport in the city of Abuja, where H.E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and H.E. Denis Sassou Nguesso held a meeting with President H.E. Goodluck Jonathan. The second was held at the Presidential Palace of Peduase, with H.E. President Dramani Mahama.

In these meetings, the special envoys of ECCAS stressed the need for all African nations to act with solidarity to find a quick solution to the terrorism group Boko Haram; a conflict that -they said- should not be minimized, because it can affect other countries on the continent.

“We came by express mandate of the ECCAS, to raise awareness among the leaders of Nigeria and Ghana so that together we can take swift action to fight the Boko Haram group and, if possible, eradicate it in our continent,” the Presidents of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo told the press, who were received with military honors in both Nigeria and Ghana, by local authorities and the Ghanaian Vice President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur.

Originally posted at: http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=6280

Image: guineaecuatorialpress.com

19.02.2015

U.S.-based oil and natural gas exploration and production company, Marathon Oil Corporation, today announced its capital, investment and exploration budget for the 2015 year, amounting to USD $3.5bn. Included in this budget is its announcement of a further USD $429m in spending on some of its international assets, primarily in Equatorial Guinea, the UK and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This increased investment will help in the further development of the Equatoguinean oil industry, and further solidify Marathon’s role in the country’s continued economic growth.

Aside from Marathon’s work in Equatorial Guinea’s oil industry, the company also takes part in a number of social responsibility initiatives which seek to promote the continued health and well-being of Equatoguinean citizens, as well as the sustained transparency of the national oil sector. According to Marathon, they work alongside the Government, business partners, NGOs and research bodies on such initiatives as:

• ·         The Bioko Island Malaria Control Project (BIMCP), an innovative and successful approach to eradicating malaria
• ·         The education, training and development of Equatoguineans to work in Marathon’s facilities
• ·         Efforts to improve maternal and infant health
• ·         Support for EG’s participation in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)

Read more here: http://www.marathonoil.com/News/Press_Releases/Press_Release/?id=897087

Image via Wikimedia Commons

18.02.2015

On 17 February, the Directors General of the Equatorial Guinea Telecommunications Company (GETESA) and MUNI Telecom, Costantino Obiang Mba and Oumar Bonkoungou, respectively, signed an agreement which aims to improve telephone and Internet services in Equatorial Guinea. Through the interconnection of an optical fibre network, there will be a reduction in rates of around 60%, as well as increased access to 3G and 4G high-speed services.

The Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Equatorial Guinea (ORTEL), Hermogenes Nzang Esono, said that this initiative will be rolled out over time, and will lead to greatly-improved outcomes for the people of Equatorial Guinea.

Read more here: http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=6263

Image: guineaecuatorialpress.com

18.02.2015

The Heads of State of Chad, H.E. Idriss Deby; Cameroon, H.E. Paul Biya; Equatorial Guinea, H.E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo; Gabon, H.E. Ali Bongo; Congo Brazzaville, H.E. Denis Sassou, and of the Central African Republic, H.E. Catherine Samba Zamba, adopted the Yaounde Declaration, on Monday, February 16, in the Conference Room of the Cameroonian capital, at the Extraordinary Summit of the Council for Peace and Security in Central Africa-COPAX, devoted to the fight against Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram.

H.E. Idriss Deby Itno, Head of State of the Chadian Republic, presided over the opening ceremony, in his capacity as current Chairman of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and Chairman of the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State of the Council for Peace and Security in Central Africa (COPAX), in which the participants highlighted the danger to the stability of the entire subregion of Central Africa posed by this terrorist group, guilty of murdering victims among the civilian population.

In the final communiqué, the summit participants unanimously recognized the gravity of the threat posed by Boko Haram to the stability of Cameroon and Chad, as well as the entire subregion of Central Africa. Therefore, they strongly condemned the repeated and unjustifiable attacks of the terrorist group against these two countries and abuses against civilians, while they lamented the loss of life, looting, destruction of property and the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

After the opening ceremony on February 16, the heads of state and delegations of member countries of the ECCAS met in a closed session to define the strategy to support Cameroon and Chad in the fight against the armed group.

During this session, they listened to speeches by H.E. Paul Biya and H.E. Idriss Deby Itno. Both speakers emphasized the seriousness of the situation, recalling that Boko Haram has quality troops and military equipment. They noted that each of their countries, Cameroon and Chad respectively, has mobilized over six thousand men to fight terrorism and invited other States of the community to take action to help end the group, since if it is not neutralized, it could destabilize the entire subregion.

In this regard, the leaders agreed on the need to work together to provide a common and coordinated response, and reaffirmed their commitment to support Cameroon and Chad, through the mechanisms provided by the COPAX Protocol and the mutual assistance pact between the ECCAS member States through emergency financing, namely 50,000 billion CFA francs (nearly 100 million dollars).

They also agreed to create a fund of multidimensional support in the areas of logistics, humanitarian assistance, communication, and resolved to strengthen supervision of their territory and communication for the benefit of their populations, to reduce the risk of infiltration of members of Boko Haram within the borders of the subregion, and therefore be able to cut their supply networks.

As interregional strategy against maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, the Heads of State and Government expressed their desire to develop active cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and, to this end, asked their counterparts in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo to explore with the President of ECOWAS, John Dramani Mahama, the chances of holding an ECCAS-ECOWAS summit in order to adopt a common strategy against Boko Haram.

Convinced of the vital role to be played by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the fight against the terrorist group, the attending authorities in Yaounde also decided to carry out political and diplomatic actions in their direction, in order to increase cooperation between this country and the two member States of ECCAS with which it shares borders, Cameroon and Chad. So they instructed H.E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and H.E. Denis Sassou, the Presidents of Equatorial Guinea, and Republic of Congo, to address Goodluck Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and discuss this collaboration.

In addition, the top leaders gathered at the summit adopted the Yaoundé Declaration of February 16, 2015, which unequivocally establishes its commitment in the fight against the armed group. They also thanked the African Union for the authorized deployment of the Joint Multinational Force (JMF), and requested the African institution to accelerate the process of legalization in the Security Council of the UN.

The Heads of State congratulated the General Secretariat of the ECCAS for all the initiatives to mobilize the community for the sake of security in the subregion. And finally, they expressed their sincere thanks to the host of the summit, H.E. Paul Biya, President of Cameroon, the Government and all the people of Cameroon for the welcome, hospitality and all the attention received during the summit.

Originally posted at http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=6261&lang=en.

Image: guineaecuatorialpress.com

17.02.2015

The Head of State and Government, H.E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, departed on Sunday, February 15, from Bata, capital of the province of Litoral, for Cameroon, to attend along with other presidents of the African continent the work of the Extraordinary Summit of the Council for Peace and Security in Central Africa-COPAX, which took place on Monday, February 16, in the Conference Room of Yaounde.

In the Nsim-Alen International Airport of Yaounde, the official delegation of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea was received by the Cameroonian Prime Minister, Philemon Yang; the Ambassador of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea accredited in the country, Anastasio Asumu Mum Muñoz, and high Cameroonian personalities.

The work of this COPAX summit, which will last one day, were chaired by the Head of State of Chad, H.E. Idriss Deby Itno, as the current Chairman of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

According to the program, the presentation of the report of the Council of Ministers; the project of the declaration of the Heads of State and Government; the closed meeting of presidents; the adoption of the final communiqué of the declaration of Heads of State and Government; group photo and the lunch offered by H.E. Paul Biya and Chantal Biya to the guests are some of the most noteworthy events of the Extraordinary Summit of the Council for Peace and Security in Central Africa, which takes place days after the holding in Ethiopia of the 24th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

Originally posted at http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=6259&lang=en.

Image: guineaecuatorialpress.com