In the last post, I shed light on the corrupt government of the large, yet not well-known country of Turkmenistan. This week it is time to head down to Central Africa and the tiny nation of Equatorial Guinea. Don’t let its small size fool you, the corruption here is still immense.

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo

President Obiang is the head of state in Equatorial Guinea and typically the term “president” means that the individual was elected and is only allowed to serve for a certain number of years. However, I’m willing to bet that you have already picked up on the fact that President Obiang’s version of presidency does not fit the mold. All the way back in 1979, Obiang led a military coup to overthrow his uncle Francisco Macias Nguema and has been president ever since. Macias is known as one of the most brutal dictators ever (he also held the title “president”) so at least Equatorial Guinea has had a little improvement since 1979, but President Obiang is no saint either.

Equatorial Guinea is technically a constitutional republic. It has a president, political parties, a senate, elections, and registered voters. The problem is that the political party in power, the PDGE (Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea), has complete control over the government and suppresses any opposition.

In the most recent elections that took place in 2016 and 2017, Obiang claimed to have received over 93% of the votes and of course “won” the presidency. I say “claimed” because the elections in Equatorial Guinea are not monitored domestically or internationally, so the government can essentially make up the number of votes a candidate received. Furthermore, the legislative and municipal elections that took place saw members of the PDGE take all 75 seats in the Senate, and 99 out of 100 seats in the lower chambers with one seat in the municipal councils. Seems super fair right?

President Obiang after winning an election with over 90% of the votes. (Source)

Elections in Equatorial Guinea lack proper transparency in voter registration, and the government unjustly blocks opposing parties from the internet and social media while elections are going on. On the official day of the elections, the internet was shut down to prevent official observer communication from taking place. President Obiang’s ruling party controlled every aspect of this election, and every election before. It seems that power is firmly in his grasp unless he chooses to step down or he passes away.

Human Rights Abuses

President Obiang has proven that he has a firm grasp over elections in this country, but what does he do with the power once he secures the presidency? That’s right, he oppresses his people. The list of human rights abuses recorded in Equatorial Guinea includes the following:

1. Unlawful killing of government agents
2. Unlawful detention of government agents
3. Hard and life-threatening prison conditions
4. Censorship and site-blocking
5. Restrictions on political participation
6. Human trafficking
7. Violence against members of the LGBTQ community

In addition to the human rights abuses, the government of Equatorial Guinea does very little to improve the quality of life for its citizens. Equatorial Guinea is the third richest country in Africa, a surprising statistic when you consider that more than 70% of its population falls below the poverty line–one of the highest rates in the world. Lack of education is also a huge problem, with 40% of children not attending school, the second lowest in the world behind Somalia.

The homes of people in poverty in Equatorial Guinea. (Source)

Unfortunately for the citizens of Equatorial Guinea, all of the money the government is raking in goes straight back into improving economic infrastructure. It is a never-ending cycle of making money and using that money to make more money. Only about 2-3% of the government’s income is spent on health care and education.