EQUATORIAL GUINEA HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD

This document covers the period August 1979 to date, of human rights violations and abuses in Equatorial Guinea. The document aims to include all possible details of systematic violations of human rights and the techniques deployed by the authorities of the Government of Equatorial Guinea, which often times do not receive the necessary coverage by the world renowned human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

The compilation of this document has multiple purposes. Among other things, the notable objectives are:

• To provide concrete, detailed and unbiased human rights violations and abuses

• To promote justice in Equatorial Guinea by bringing the perpetrators of the human rights violations

• Seek means and avenues for the victims to be recognized and receive appropriate, adequate and effective reparations

• To educate or inform people by informing the truth and promote tolerance

• Encourage citizens to stand and work for justice, peace and respect of human rights of all people in Equatorial Guinea

However, African Refugees Solidarity Committee does not have any affiliation or takes position on the political ideology of any countries’ governments in Africa. Nevertheless, no matter what kind of government are in any African country African Refugees Solidarity Committee documents and exposes unbiased human rights violations of all countries depending on the availability of human resource to do so.

Methodology:

African Refugees Solidarity Committee has natives from each country who are well aware of the human rights situations in their country. Though they are experts in their own country and have first hand information, the human rights committee closely overhauls the objectivity and impartiality of the evidence, information and report. Through this spirit, most of the information are gathered by the native citizens of the countries which human rights violations documents are prepared. Nevertheless, for the sake of their personal safety, the identity of people who have participated in compiling and informing the documents will remain undisclosed for open public.

Human Rights violations

In terms of Human Rights violations, Equatorial Guinea, is not a unique country in Africa. It is one of the many countries in African that remained under the rule of the same person for decades. Since August 3,1979 the incumbent president is in power. Without delving to the detailed human rights violation compiled in this document, it is easy to understand that an absolute power has a direct impact to abuse of power. And abuse of power in turn has a direct connection to gross violations of human rights violations. The evidences presented in this document corroborate to this arguments.

Extrajudicial Killings:

Since the incumbent president took power in 1979, throughout national territory, more than 5000 people have been killed by the secret services between 1979 and 2003. These include, Ministers, senior army officers, politicians, military and civilian exiles as well as citizens in general have been victims without distinction. None of these victims’ actual situation is thoroughly investigated. Their murders remained unaccounted for their crimes and the survivors left without any legal remedies or reparation. No perpetrator is held accountable. The rights of survivors to seek relief remained distant and are left forgotten.

Violations by the Police and Secret Security Services:

In E.G. the police and the secret service of the government commit torture and other systematic and cruel treatment of prisoners. Manfred Novak, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to Equatorial Guinea has confirmed the torture and human degrading treatment of the police and security officials. After his mission to Equatorial Guinea from 9-18 November 2008, Mr. Novak issued a very alarming statement on the condition of prisoners. To quote at length: “Types of abuse reported to me, and corroborated by expert medical analysis and evidence found in the respective police stations, include: beatings on various parts of the body, but often on the soles of the feet and/or the buttocks with police batons, solid "rubberized" cables and wooden bars; electric shocks with starter cables attached to different parts of the body with alligator clips; various forms of suspension with hands and feet tied together, including the so-called "Ethiopian style" for prolonged periods. In these positions the victims are swung, beaten, or heavy devices such as car batteries are placed on top of their backs. Furthermore, they were sometimes blindfolded or forced to inhale candle smoke. In most instances, the purpose of the torture is to extract confessions or information; sometimes it is intended as punishment, intimidation or for the extortion of money” The excessive force of police and the security forces are well established in Equatorial Guinea. Yet, torture is still in practice in combinations with several other systematic ways of eliminations.

“There are basements and secret places in most of the barracks buildings, and buildings of the presidential family's main places for political assassinations and poisonings as well as torture camps of all kinds. The system deletes and removes thousands of people after kidnapping and unlawful detention. Then of course come the clandestine burials without telling any family members and the death and notifying them after several days without the possibility of checking the prisons Malabo, Bata, Ebibeyin and Evinayong. These are the town where all sorts of torture committed crimes, 11 mass graves in Ngolayob, Bata-Ete, Malabo presidencial Residence- Bioko Island. Several Guineans of Bubi ethnic group killed in the events of 21 January 1998, have been buried in mass graves to hide the number of deceased persons. Genocide in Annobon Island, three people slaughtered in the quest of practicing cannibalism rites. As usual Dictator Teodoro Obiang and his family their sect called Buti, they dissected corpses in their residences where until now no family of those deaths are entitled to claim”. Please verify the sources. Killing by poisoning As stated above, there are various systematic killing or eliminating citizens in Equatorial Guinea. The death of the following persons remained mysterious. But it is widely believed that they are killed by poisoning.

Killing abroad and kidnapping from the neighboring countries of Equatorial Guinea:

The security service of the Equatorial Guinea has long arms. Those who are perceived a threat to the government of the Equatorial Guinea are not free even if they are in exile. The following are Equato-Guinean citizens assassinated in different countries through systematic way of killing.

Death by torture:

Torture is a common practice in secret detention places of Equatorial Guinea. As a result of the severe and inhuman treatment and torture many people have lost their lives. The names of some of the people who were killed by torture are attached here below. They remained dead without any trace and through investigation and no explanation was given to their families’ knowledge of why their dear ones are killed.

Violations of citizens' right to fair trial:

The judicial system has no guarantee to citizens. It is common practice for citizens to be summarily sentenced to long-term imprisonment. No fair trial is give at all. The Right to appear before a legitimate and lawful court is impossible. Citizens do not have the Right to Defence. The following list is the names of those who have been sentenced for 20 years imprisonment without due process of law and fair trial during May-June 2002 in Malaba.

Conclusion:

At present the country has more than 700 prisoners of conscience and prisoners of political dissidents. They are in the four major prisons in the country Malabo, Bata, Ebibeyin and Evinayong. There are several basements and secret underground places which are unknown by the public. In this clandestine jails hundreds of Equato-Guinean are languishing. This is a serious human rights violation, which must halt immediately.

Recommendation:

To the Government of Equatorial Guinea, the government should initiate an immediate and impartial investigation to the people who have been killed over the last decades and appropriately make the damage incurred over the years. The survivors should explicitly acknowledged of their harm and of all the pain they suffered from the loss of their dear and loved ones.

The international community should put pressure and provide with expertise to investigate these grave human rights violations. The role of international community should not remain confined to the hot human rights issue and put aside the systematic killings happening daily in many countries.

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