Official Reports on E.G.
2007 SUPPORTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY REPORT
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Equatorial Guinea is nominally a multiparty constitutional republic. All branches of government are dominated by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and his inner circle, largely comprised of members of a sub-clan of the Fang ethnic group. The 2002 presidential election was marred by extensive fraud and intimidation, and the international community widely criticized the 2004 parliamentary elections as seriously flawed. During the year a law criminalizing torture was passed, reports of abuse decreased, and mid-level police officers received their first training on human rights; nevertheless, the government's human rights record remained poor, and the government continued to commit and condone serious abuses. The following human rights problems were reported: abridgement of citizens' right to change their government; torture, beating, and other physical abuse of prisoners and detainees by security forces; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; impunity; arbitrary arrest, detention, and incommunicado detention; harassment and deportation of foreign residents; judicial corruption and lack of due process; restrictions on the right to privacy; severe restrictions on freedom of speech and of the press; restrictions on the right of assembly, association, and movement; government corruption; violence and discrimination against women; trafficking in persons; discrimination against ethnic minorities; restrictions on labor rights and child labor; and forced child labor.
The first resident U.S. ambassador in more than a decade arrived in the country in November as a tangible symbol of increased U.S. interests in the country, including promoting respect for human rights and democratic reform. Increased engagement was fostered during the year through visits by other high-level U.S. diplomatic officials, including the assistant secretary of state for Africa, and senior U.S. military officers.
The U.S. strategy to promote democracy and human rights aimed to strengthen the key government and civil institutions necessary for democratic progress. The strategy focused on addressing social needs, supporting anticorruption efforts, and promoting fiscal transparency in government ministries. In addition, the United States worked with opposition parties, civil society, and the press to strengthen their ability to contribute to the expansion of democracy and the promotion of human rights in the country. The United States pursued these objectives through active engagement with the government, opposition parties, the media, and community representatives.
To promote democracy, U.S. officials met with senior officials of all political parties and attended the national party congresses of the ruling party and opposition groups. U.S. officials urged the president and cabinet ministers to broaden political participation in the next election, and the U.S. Government awarded a grant to support an NGO's planned programs to promote electoral reform. U.S. officials also discussed the democratic process with diverse student groups and distributed election-related materials.
U.S. efforts to encourage press freedom occurred in an environment of tight government restrictions on the press and widespread self-censorship of journalists. Privately owned and independent media continued to be nearly nonexistent in the country, and there were no daily newspapers, bookstores, newsstands, or public lending libraries, except for the Spanish Cultural Center libraries in Malabo and Bata. U.S. officials met frequently with press association members, encouraged networking with international journalists' associations, distributed supporting materials, hosted workshops, and utilized public speaking opportunities to convey the importance of the media's role in building a democratic society. The U.S. Government hosted a two-day media workshop on topics including improving writing skills, generating a societal demand for news, and the effects of self-censorship. At a seminar at the National University, the ambassador spoke on the role of the media in developing democracies. A biweekly journal sponsored by the government began to include some articles that were more balanced and included constructive criticism of government practices for the first time.
There were no human rights NGOs in the country, and the process to register an NGO remained difficult. During the year U.S. officials underscored the importance of a vigorous civil society in public statements and in conversations with government officials. The United States engaged actively with UN organizations to promote human rights and with the government’s Center for Human Rights and Democracy and the Interministerial Commission on Human Rights. The U.S. Government also facilitated the work of other bilateral and multilateral partners to enhance the capacity of civil society to ensure that activities were complementary and not duplicative or contradictory in message.
In support of the rule of law, two prominent U.S. judges visited the country and met with the president of the Supreme Court, the justice minister, and others to discuss judicial training needs and possible areas of cooperation and exchange. To curb corruption, U.S. officials regularly stressed the importance of transparency in public finance and the management of the oil sector at the highest levels of government. U.S. officials obtained government support for and participation in a two-day workshop on transparency and antibribery conventions and laws. National officials at the highest levels were present, and for many it was their first introduction to the country's own ethics law for public officials. U.S. officials distributed publications on good governance and engaged officials at all levels on the long-term economic benefits of a just application of the rule of law, particularly benefits related to the growth of a business environment.
U.S. officials also advocated on behalf of companies, organizations, and individuals subject to harassment, illegal seizure of property, and extrajudicial detention. In one case, such intervention resulted in a U.S. company recovering vehicles that had been seized illegally. Separate interventions also resulted in the release of citizens illegally detained for either political or personal vendettas.
The U.S. Embassy provided an outlet for vigorous and continuous on-the-ground promotion of respect for human rights, addressing violations such as torture, allegations of killings by security forces, and women’s and minority rights. The ambassador regularly communicated U.S. concerns to government officials regarding individual cases of reported abuse of human rights. The interventions contributed to the president's June release of over 40 prisoners, many of whom were "prisoners of conscience" (political prisoners), in connection with his birthday celebration. Intervention by the U.S. Embassy -- and subsequently Amnesty International -- also influenced the release of four political activists detained illegally in October and reportedly abused in an attempt to extract confessions. According to credible international sources, the total number of political prisoners was between 50 and 100 at the end of the year. The government continued to refuse prison access to U.S. officials; however, the U.S. Government's known interest and communication with friends and relatives of prisoners reportedly helped maintain improved conditions for most prisoners, especially in the new facility at Black Beach prison.
During the year police began taking human rights training and classes that introduced them to the concept of community service for the first time, facilitated by the U.S. Government and conducted by a U.S. firm. The United States also helped the government to acquire and manage technical assistance with the goal of ensuring that social projects were planned, funded, and implemented in a manner that was transparent, efficient, and accountable to the citizens and government. This program, slated to last until 2008, was funded by the government and focused on accelerating investment in health, education, women’s issues, and sanitation.
To promote religious freedom, U.S. efforts were focused on encouraging separation of church and state in private discussions. Unlike in previous years, churches were not compelled to display ruling party posters in places of worship.
During the year the government requested U.S. assistance in training security officers to implement the national antitrafficking strategy. The United States coordinated an assessment visit by a U.S. trafficking expert and awarded a small grant to the UN Children's Fund to assist the government's efforts to quantify the problem.