Politics

9, March 2022

Federal Republic of Ambazonia: IG seeks to peacefully settle borders with La Republique du Cameroun ⁰

The exiled leader of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government says he would prefer to resolve questions about border demarcation with Biya and French Cameroun peacefully.

Vice President Dabney Yerima told Cameroon Concord News on Tuesday that he favours dialogue between the two Cameroons but reserved the right to strengthen Ambazonia Revolutionary Guards providing security in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

Yerima said the situation in the long-running conflict in Southern Cameroons had become critical, and the pro-independence forces in Ground Zero were winning with support from the diaspora. Dabney Yerima accused the Biya Francophone regime in French Cameroun of staging provocations and causing civilian casualties in the Ambazonia homeland.

Yerima noted that the Ambazonia Interim Government authorized the use of explosives which began late last year to enable Ambazonia Revolutionary Guards to focus on defending Southern Cameroons towns and villages.

“With the dust now settled, Southern Cameroonians can see clearly who their true leaders are. Mobilization is growing and God willing, we as a people will get to Buea” Vice President Yerima added.

Southern Cameroons revolutionary leader President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe proclaimed the independence of British Southern Cameroons five years ago, recognizing the South West and North West regions as the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

French Cameroun under the 89-year-old Paul Biya rejected the move and started an invasion of Southern Cameroons in 2017.

Both the Ambazonia Restoration Forces and troops loyal to the Biya French Cameroun regime in Yaoundé have been accused of atrocities in the fighting, which according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) has killed more than 6 000 people.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

8, March 2022

After a very long wait, new U.S. Ambassador to Yaoundé arrives to take up post ⁰

Ambassador Christopher John Lamora is finally in Yaoundé almost two years after the departure of his predecessor Peter Henry Barlerin.

Hon. Barlerin took over from Micheal Stephen Hoza just three months after he was accredited to Cameroon. In contrast, Christopher John Lamora landed in Cameroon nearly two years after the departure of Peter Henry Barlerin.

Cameroon Concord News senior political man in the United Kingdom Nelson A. Agbor opined that this is unprecedented in the history of diplomatic relations between Yaoundé and Washington. The reasons for this long wait have not been disclosed.

Proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden since April 2021, the 52-year-old diplomat was sworn in last February 11 in Washington. As diplomatic ritual dictates, he will also go to the Unity Palace in Yaoundé to present his credentials to the 89-year-old President Paul Biya.

Christopher John Lamora is returning to a country he knows well, having served as U.S. Consul General in Douala, the economic metropolis. He also served as Deputy Chargé de Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ghana before being promoted to the rank of Ambassador.

By Rita Akana

7, March 2022

Burkina Faso’s junta appoints interim government ⁰

Burkina Faso’s interim president, Paul-Henri Damiba, has approved a new government, retaining the defense minister who served in the Roch Kabore government before his ouster in a January coup.

Damiba was sworn in on Wednesday as the transitional president for three years, almost two months after spearheading a coup against Kabore.

According to an official decree, the 25-member new cabinet includes General Barthelemy Simpore, the former defense minister, who has surprisingly retained his position.

The appointment of economist Albert Ouedraogo as the West African nation’s transitional prime minister was announced on Thursday.

Burkina Faso’s military coup was the fourth in West Africa in less than two years, following two in Mali and one in Guinea, reaffirming the region’s reputation as the ‘coup belt.’

Last week, the country adopted a transitional charter that would allow the junta to lead a three-year transition period.

A “national forum” of political parties, trade unions, and grassroots groups approved the charter after a day-long debate in the capital, Ouagadougou.

The charter was later signed by junta leader, Lieutenant Colonel Henri-Paul Damiba, last Tuesday.

Damiba has had first-hand experience of the insurgency by Takfiri terrorists.

He was commander of the 3rd Military Region, before seizing power, which covers eastern Burkina Faso – one of the worst-hit areas.

A military official, speaking after the coup, described Damiba as “a tough commander who has been on the front line with his men”.

In late January, Burkina Faso was suspended from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) to pressure the country to return to constitutional order.

Burkina Faso, one of the world’s poorest countries, has been under relentless attack from Takfiri groups linked to al-Qaeda and Daesh that seek control of its natural resources.

Sources

5, March 2022

Israel PM meets Putin in Moscow for Ukraine talks ⁰

Israel’s premier stepped into the role of mediator Saturday as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensified, holding a three-hour meeting at the Kremlin with Vladimir Putin before calling Ukraine’s president and flying to Berlin.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s sit-down with Putin was the first by foreign leader since the day Russian forces invaded Ukraine last week, and came after Kyiv had asked Israel to launch a dialogue with Moscow.

Bennett has so far walked a very cautious line on the Ukraine crisis, seeking to preserve delicate security cooperation with Russia, which has a large military presence in Israel’s northern neighbour, Syria.

Bennett has not joined Western leaders — notably key ally the United States — in forcefully condemning the invasion, instead stressing Israel’s strong relations with both Russia and Ukraine.

Ahead of his Moscow trip, Bennett had spoken by telephone repeatedly with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Bennett’s office said he left Israel for Moscow early Saturday, itself an extraordinary move for a religious Jew who does not conduct state business on the Jewish Shabbath, except in extraordinary circumstances.

Bennett and Putin met for three hours, in a visit that was coordinated with the US, Germany and France, an Israeli official said.

Bennett’s delegation included his housing minister, fluent Russian speaker Zeev Elkin, who was born in Ukraine when it was part of the Soviet Union.

The Kremlin said “different aspects of the situation in Ukraine” were discussed during “the short working visit”.

After the Putin meeting, Bennett called Zelensky — who is Jewish, has family in Israel and has visited the country many times.

Bennett then headed to Germany for talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz scheduled for late Saturday.

A statement from the French presidency said Emmanuel Macron also spoke to Bennett before he left for Moscow on Saturday, as part of joint efforts to “obtain a ceasefire in Ukraine”.

Iran

While the Bennett-Putin talks were primarily focused on the fighting in Ukraine, the meeting also “touched upon the progress of the (Iran) nuclear talks in Vienna,” the Israeli official said.

Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency said earlier Saturday after talks in Tehran that they agreed on an approach to resolve issues crucial in efforts to revive the country’s 2015 nuclear deal.

Bennett is a staunch opponent of global efforts to revive the agreement which gave Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.

The premier has argued that Tehran will use the revenue boost from the lifting of sanctions to buy weapons that can harm Israel, while still pursuing a nuclear weapons capability, an ambition Iran denies.

Russia, which has itself been slapped with Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, said Saturday that it would seek guarantees from Washington before backing any revived agreement, complicating efforts for a rapid deal.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia had requested that the US give it written guarantees that Ukraine-related sanctions “will not in any way harm our rights to free, fully-fledged trade and economic and investment cooperation, military-technical cooperation with Iran”.

There was no immediate comment on any link between the new Russian position and Bennett’s visit.

The meeting with Bennett was the first the Russian leader had scheduled since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine.

Putin received Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Kremlin on the day the invasion began, in a visit that was long scheduled but widely considered ill-timed.

On Monday, Khan defended the trip — the first by a Pakistani leader to Russia in more than two decades — saying it would prove beneficial in the future.

Source: AFP

5, March 2022

US, allies condemn Russia at UN over its attack on Ukraine nuclear plant ⁰

Russia’s “reckless” overnight attack on a nuclear power plant in Ukraine is a dangerous escalation that “represents a dire threat to all of Europe and the world,” the US ambassador to the United Nations said on Friday.

“By the grace of God, the world narrowly averted a nuclear catastrophe last night,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council.

“Russia’s attack last night put Europe’s largest nuclear power plant at grave risk,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

“It was incredibly reckless and dangerous. And it threatened the safety of civilians across Russia, Ukraine and Europe,” she said.

“Nuclear facilities cannot become part of this conflict,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

She urged Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end the invasion of Ukraine.

“Not only has he not listened, we’ve just witnessed a dangerous new escalation that represents a dire threat to all of Europe and the world,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

“President Putin must stop this humanitarian catastrophe by ending this war and ceasing these unconscionable attacks against the people of Ukraine,” she said. “Mr. Putin must stop this madness, and stop it now.”

Moscow’s ambassador to the United Nations denied accusations that Russian forces had shelled Europe’s largest atomic power plant in Zaporizhzhia.

“These statements are simply untrue,” Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council. “This is all part of an unprecedented campaign of lies and disinformation against Russia.”

He said Russian troops had exchanged small arms fire with Ukrainian forces at Zaporizhzhia but had not shelled the facility in southern Ukraine.

He said the fighting occurred at a training complex “located just outside the territory of the nuclear power plant” and accused “Ukrainian saboteurs” of setting fire to the training facility.

“The operation of the nuclear power plant continues normally,” Nebenzia said. “Nothing threatens the safety of the six power units.

“There is no threat of a release of radioactive material.”

Source: AFP

3, March 2022

Macron officially declares his candidacy in 2022 French presidential election ⁰

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced he would run for a second term in the April French presidential election, seeking a mandate to steer the euro zone’s second-largest economy through the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Macron announced his bid for the 2022 presidential election with a “letter to the French” which began with the recent challenges the country has faced during his first five-year term.

“Over the past five years, we have faced many trials together. Terrorism, the pandemic, war in Europe: rarely has France been faced with such an accumulation of crises,” the letter, which was published in several newspapers, began.

“We have not succeeded in everything,” Macron continued. “There are choices that, with the experience I have acquired, I would no doubt make differently. But the transformations undertaken during this mandate have enabled many of us to live better, and France to gain in independence. And the crises we have been experiencing for the past two years show that this is the path that must be followed.”

The letter then stated his intent to run for a second term. “I am asking for your confidence for a new mandate as president of the Republic. I am a candidate to…respond to the challenges of the century. I am a candidate to defend our values…I am a candidate to continue to prepare the future of our children and our grandchildren.”

The French president, who has been at the centre of diplomacy over Ukraine, left his official declaration to the last minute with the deadline set by the authorities at 6 pm (1700 GMT) on Friday.

While there was always little suspense about the 44-year-old’s intentions, his candidacy announcement was repeatedly delayed because of the crisis in eastern Europe that has seen Macron take a prominent role in diplomatic talks.

Nearly a month before the April 10 first round of the presidential election Macron has yet to engage in any official campaigning and scrapped a rally planned in Marseille this weekend due to the Ukraine crisis.

Rivals ‘boxing on their own’

Ahead of Friday’s deadline for candidates to stand, polls widely show him as the front runner, with the war turning the attention to foreign policy rather than the domestic issues favoured by his opponents.

“In a crisis, citizens always get behind the flag and line up behind the head of state,” said Antoine Bristielle, a public opinion expert at the Jean-Jaurès Foundation, a Paris think tank.

“The other candidates are inaudible. In every media, all anyone is talking about is the invasion,” he told AFP.

One ruling party MP told AFP this week the Ukraine crisis meant that Macron’s rivals were “boxing on their own”, while several polls have shown his personal ratings rising.

The former investment banker admitted in a national address on Wednesday night that the crisis had “hit our democratic life and the election campaign” but promised “an important democratic debate for the country” would take place.

The latest IFOP poll for Paris Match, LCI and Sud Radio on Thursday showed Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen leading in the first round and qualifying for the run-off with Macron getting 28 percent and Le Pen securing 17 percent.

The figures for the April 24 runoff showed Macron securing 56.7 percent of the vote against Le Pen.

Source: REUTERS

2, March 2022

After 40 years as Head of State, what’s life in a post-Paul Biya era? ⁰

On 13 February, Paul Biya celebrated his 40th anniversary as head of state, but what would happen if, in six months or a year’s time, he was no longer able to govern? Who would replace him? Would a clan war break out? Would the army get involved? What about the opposition? We invite you to dive into the possible scenarios following an inevitable succession.

Here they were, once again, all gathered under the marble and gilding of Mvomeka’a, the head of state’s private residence. Chantal Biya dominated the august assembly with her flamboyant height. The first lady’s long red dress was an unmistakable eye-catcher.

Paul Biya, the former seminarian, chose a more sober-looking suit. Dressed in a white shirt, dark tie and jacket, the president later opted for a more casual outfit. His older children stood beside him. Less used to these formal occasions, his grandchildren ran around the large reception room, bickering with each other and leering enviously at the sugar and cream cake.

What if it was the last time?

The atmosphere was festive. A few hand-picked guests were waiting in another room. Paul and Chantal Biya were smiling. The photographer captured the moment and then checked the photo to make sure it wasn’t blurry. A few hours later, millions of Cameroonians looked at the photograph on their phones or computers and either commented on it among themselves or on social media, happy to be immersed – for a moment – in the intimacy of power. Some compared the image to that of the previous year, while others went back even further, examining the effects of time on the protagonists’ faces. A cruel but inevitable tradition.

On 13 February 2022, Biya, who has been president since November 1982, turned 89. What would happen if this were the last time he celebrated his birthday in power? What would happen if the Etoudi palace were to change tenants before the 2025 presidential elections? Who would be able to replace him?

In Yaoundé, these questions remain taboo, even though they are still on most people’s minds. The Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM, in power) is undergoing some changes, the various clans are clashing and dirty tricks abound. We are getting closer and closer to the fateful hour when the head of state will relinquish his dictatorial powers. So what will happen when he does?….

Culled from The Africa Report

1, March 2022

Iran’s leader says Ukraine is ‘victim’ of US policy ⁰

Iran’s supreme leader on Tuesday said US policies are to blame for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling for an end to the war that broke out last week.

“The root cause of the Ukraine crisis is the US and the West’s policies,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech marking a Muslim religious anniversary.

“The United States regime is a crisis-creating and crisis-living one. It feeds on crisis.

“In my opinion, today Ukraine is also the victim of such policy. Today, the Ukraine situation is related to this US policy. The US has dragged Ukraine to this point,” he added.

He accused Washington of meddling in the “internal affairs of the country, setting up demonstrations against the governments, creating velvet revolutions, creating colour coup d’etats”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine last Thursday.

Ukraine says more than 350 civilians have been killed since, and that Moscow is amassing more troops for a possible assault on the capital city Kyiv.

Iran’s supreme leader said Tehran wants the “war to end”, and called for civilians’ lives and infrastructure to be spared during the conflict.

“We are against war and destruction, anywhere in the world,” Khamenei said, adding that “we are against killing people, the destruction of people’s infrastructure”.

The invasion has pushed tensions between Russia and the West to their highest point in decades.

The US, European allies and NATO members have imposed severe sanctions on Moscow and are supplying Ukraine with weapons and defence equipment.

Khamenei said that lessons should be drawn from the war, mainly that “Western powers’ support of puppet regimes and governments is a mirage, it is not real”.

Relations between the US and Iran have been severed since April 1980, a year after the fall of the pro-Western shah.

This was followed by the occupation of the American embassy in Tehran, and the seizing of hostages in a crisis that lasted for more than a year.

The two arch-rivals are currently engaged in indirect negotiations in Vienna to restore a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, from which Washington unilaterally withdrew in 2018.

Iran’s leader, who has the final say in major state policies, called the US a “mafia regime”.

“Political mafia, economic mafia, arms-producing mafia; different types of mafias that control and lead the policies of the country and actually control the country,” he said.

Source: AFP

25, February 2022

Putin ready to send delegation for talks with Ukraine ⁰

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is ready to dispatch a high-level delegation for talks with Ukraine in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, the Kremlin says, as the Russian military campaign in Ukraine enters its second day.

On Friday, Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was ready to “send a delegation at the level of representatives of Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and Presidential Administration to Minsk for negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation.”

Minsk hosted previous peace negotiations on the Ukrainian crisis.

Peskov’s statement came as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky called for direct talks with Putin in a video message earlier on Friday.

China’s Foreign Ministry also said that Putin had told his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during a phone call on Friday that his country was willing to “conduct high-level negotiations” with Ukraine. The ministry also cited the Russian leader as saying that the United States and NATO had long turned a blind eye to Russia’s legitimate security concerns, repeatedly failed to honor their commitments, and continued to expand military deployments in Eastern Europe, near Russian borders, challenging Russia’s key red line.

Xi reiterated his country’s support for a solution to the crisis through dialog, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website. Xi also urged all parties to respect the legitimate security concerns of all countries and form a balanced, effective, and sustainable European security mechanism through talks.

Source: Presstv

25, February 2022

The Longest Serving African Leaders in 2022 ⁰

The new decade has brought about a series of seismic changes in the African political system. There has been an increase of the number of coups across the continent that has seen long standing head of states lose power. Despite this, there still remains a number of African leaders who have continued to consolidate their power through constitutional changes and have constructed legal dictatorships.

Here are the 10 longest serving African leaders in 2022:

10. Alassane Ouattara

Alassane Ouattara has been the president of Ivory Coast since 2010. Prior to his presidency, he was the Prime Minister of Ivory Coast and worked as an economist for the IMF and the Central Bank of West African States. He recently won a 5-year term in 2020 in what can be considered a constitutional coup.

Ouattara assumed his position after a bloody power struggle with then incumbent President, Laurent Gbagbo, after a stalemate in the 2010 elections. With the aid of France and the US, Ouattara’s military forces arrested Gbagbo and he became de facto leader

Ouattara has continued his repressive streak as his government is known for corruption, cronyism, and human right abuses. The state of Ivory Coast is nuanced. Economic growth has been around 7% since he took over. The government has invested heavily in telecommuting, electricity and roads but poverty, education and healthcare remain a huge challenge.

9. Faure Gnassingbe

Faure Gnassingbe has been the President of Togo since 2005. After the sudden death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, he was installed by the military has head of state which resulted in international and domestic backlash. After resigning and winning the hotly contested elections of 2005, he has become a mainstay. Gnassingbe won his fourth term in 2020 after removing presidential term limits amidst of allegations of rigging the elections.

Like his father, Gnassingbe rules the country with an iron fist. He ordered the arrest of his half brother and former defence minister on suspicion of planning a coup attempt in 2009. The constitutional changes he proposed in 2017 to allow him to continue to stand for election were heavily protested by opposition leaders and the people of Togo. The resistance was harshly squashed as the military used live bullets, teargas and internet blackouts.

8. Paul Kagame

Paul Kagame is the current president of Rwanda and has been since 2000. He has won three terms. He rose to power after defeating the Rwandan National Army to end the genocidal war that broke out in Rwanda in 1994 as the leader of the RPF rebel forces.

In his current 22-year long reign, Kagame has been lauded for his efforts that have stabilized the economy and promoted economic growth, but he is also known for his tyrannical streak. It said that Kagame has defence agency networks dedicated to assassinating, imprisoning, and exiling his critics.

Rwanda has somewhat benefitted from leadership as he has been able to procure vast amounts of foreign aid that has helped the country greatly. Government reports claim to have lifted 1 million people out of poverty between 2008 and 2012 and that the country’s economy has grown by a steady 8% in the same time frame.

7. Ismali Omar Gulleh

Ismali Omar Gulleh has ruled over Djibouti since 1999. He succeeded his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, after being in his cabinet as head of national security and chief of staff for more than 20 years.

Known by many as a dictator, Guelleh has been in power for 22 years and 5 terms. In the latest election, held in 2021, He beat his only opponent, Zakaria Farah, by winning over 97% of the votes. The lead up to the alleged rigged elections was marked by street protests by the people of the country as they have grown tired of Guelleh’s suppressive reign.

Guelleh’s regime has been characterized by inequality, corruption, poverty, unemployment, restriction of free press, rampant malnutrition, and poor healthcare systems. The country is not poor by any means, but Guelleh has turned it into a commercial state-city controlled by one man.

6. Isaias Afwerki

Isaias Afwerki has held the office of the President of Eritrea since the country gained its independence in 1991. As a revolutionary, he led the Eritrean Liberation Front to victory, ending the country’s 30-year long war for independence. He continues to lead both the country and the only legitimate party in the country.

Afwerki’s reign has been marked by the lack of elections, constitution, parliament or independent judiciary. The president is an authoritarian who uses his considerable power to eliminate rivals and free press. He has gone as far as aiding Islamist extremist groups in Somalia in order to destabilize neighbouring Ethiopia.

Eritrea remains one of the world’s poorest countries. Poverty rates are exacerbated by war and drought. The country is plagued by homelessness, disease and a lack of water, educational and healthcare systems.

5. King Mswati III

King Mswati III is the last absolute monarch in Africa and has reigned over Swaziland since 1986. The king assumed power as he turned 18 after receiving an education at Sherbone School in England. He routinely appoints his own cabinet, parliament and fills key governmental positions with allies and CEO’s.

The king has ruled with a ruthlessness and his methods have become more violent. The monarch’s security forces are known for extra judicial killings, unfounded arrests, detentions, and torture. This was evident in the 2021 pro-democracy protests that took over the country. Security forces enacted a dusk to dawn curfew, shut off the internet and murdered 50 people.

The king uses Swaziland’s resources as his own personal line of credit. He is listed as one of the richest monarchs and leads an extravagant lifestyle. Meanwhile, Swaziland’s unemployment rate stands at more than 46% and 65% of the people live on less than $1.25 a day.

4. Youweri Museveni

Youweri Museveni is Uganda’s 9th President and has ruled over the country since 1986. He led the rebel forces that toppled former Ugandan Presidents Milton Obote and Idi Amin and recently won his sixth term in 2021.

Like so many of his authoritarian counterparts, Museveni has scrapped term limits, rigged elections, and suppressed opponents. Museveni’s regime is a display of wide-reaching corruption and an intolerance for minority groups.

Uganda is primarily plagued by rising youth employment, lack of electricity and limited infrastructure as the country lacks sufficient road and railway systems.

3. Dennis Sassou Nguesso

Dennis Nguesso has been Congo’s head of state for more than 37 years. He served his first term as president from 1979 to 1990 but was stripped of executive power and subsequently lost the 1991 presidential elections. He returned to power in 2002 after leading his rebel forces during the Congo civil war in which they ousted President Lissouba. In 2021, he won his fifth term which will see him stay in power until 2026.

Nguesso rules like a true totalitarian. Political opponents have either been jailed, exiled or are dead. Elections are routinely rigged, and dissidence is violently quelled. The population of Congo doesn’t enjoy any civic freedoms. Nguesso is well known for decades of gross corruption

Although, Congo is an oil rich country and generates huge revenues, it remains one the poorest countries. Nguesso and his allies use state resources for personal enrichment. Half the population live below the poverty line, the economy’s stagnant, civil servants go mouths without wages and hospitals rarely have the capacity to treat people.

2. Paul Biya

Paul Biya has been the president of Cameroon since 1982. He has been in office for 40 years after the resignation of President Ahmadou Ahidjo. He has won seven terms, the latest in 2018.

Biya’s presidency become more repressive with each passing year and intensified after an attempted coup in 1984. Since then, elections are often fraudulent, political opponents disappear and free speech is restricted. His French-backed regime has often targeted the Anglophone people of Cameroon resulting in a deadly crisis.

Due to widespread corruption, Cameroon is in a dire state. 40% of Cameroonians live below the poverty line. Another 6.2 million are in need of humanitarian aid. The economy is on the brink of collapse and the national currency has been devalued.

1.Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo

Teodoro Obiang is the longest serving African leader. He took office of the President of Equatorial Guinea in 1979 after orchestrating a military coup against his uncle, Franciso Macias Nguema. Since then, Equatorial Guinea is has one party system and the constitution of the country grants Obiang virtually all the power.

Like previous African strongmen, Obiang’s regime is characterized by unlawful kidnappings, murders, and torture of anyone who dares to criticize it. The only media outlets allowed to operate in the country are those owned by his allies. Local activists often face intimidations, harassment, and reprisals.

Equatorial Guinea is one of the leading oil producing countries in Africa and has one the highest adult literacy rates. Despite this, wealth inequality is rife due to corruption. About three quarters of the population live below the poverty line and are without access to healthcare, infrastructure or drinking water.

Source: The African Exponent