Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo replaced Malawi’s leader as African Union chairperson on Sunday, in a move criticised by a rights group as “anti-ethical” to the organisation’s aims.
Obiang, in power for more than three decades, took over the reins during the opening ceremony of an AU summit in the Ethiopian capital, having been named last year. He told a packed hall he would work to achieve economic development in Africa.
Equatorial Guinea has emerged from relative obscurity over the past decade to become a top five sub-Saharan African oil producer, largely through United States firms, and it is now attracting European companies seeking new gas reserves.
But rights groups have accused the former Spanish colony of mismanaging its oil reserves, with billions of dollars benefiting the elite rather than the people.
“President Obiang’s record is anti-ethical to the African Union’s mission and values,” Reed Brody, Human Rights Watch counsel and spokesperson, told Reuters.
The African Union has long advocated the fostering of democratic rule in the continent, but has often fallen short with a number of long-serving leaders still clinging to power.
“Equatorial Guinea’s vast oil revenues fund lavish lifestyles for the small elite surrounding President Obiang, while the majority of the population lives in dire poverty,” said Brody, a human rights lawyer who has pursued ex-despots.
Foul-play
In a report last week, Human Rights Watch accused Obiang of subjecting opponents to torture and arbitrary detention. The group reported cases of foul-play during presidential polls in 2009, in which Obiang won 95.4 percent of the ballot.
Washington has also been a regular critic of Obiang’s human rights record. The government has responded with statements stressing Obiang has always been a defender of human rights.
Obiang has ruled since seizing power in 1979 and the country has established a reputation for being one of the most corrupt and repressive nations in Africa.
With oil production in decline, Equatorial Guinea is now trying to clean up its image. Obiang promised last year to introduce reforms and improve the country’s human rights record.
Since the discovery of big offshore reserves in the 1990s, Equatorial Guinea attracted investment from the likes of Exxon Mobil, Marathon Oil and Hess Corp and now produces about 300 000 barrels per day. — Reuters