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Due to resource constraints, IRIN is not updating the country profile below.
Updated humanitarian country information can be found instead at the Equatorial Guinea country page on ReliefWeb [http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc104?OpenForm&rc=1&cc=gnq].
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 REPUBLIC of EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Humanitarian Country Profile |
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Background
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Last update: August 2007 |
Equatorial Guinea is a small country on the west coast of Africa that also comprises the oil-rich island of Bioko and other islets in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to discover Bioko and they traded the island and parts of the mainland to Spain for territory in South America. The island became a hub for the slave trade and the Spanish developed profitable cocoa plantations there using mainly Nigerian labourers.
In 1926 Bioko was politically unified with land on the continent to form Spanish Guinea. In 1963, the country was granted limited autonomy and renamed Equatorial Guinea. The Spanish heavily developed the cocoa industry and when independence was granted in 1968 the country had one of the highest gross domestic products on the continent. The nation also benefited from high literacy rates and health centres.
Although a constitution was approved by a referendum at the time of independence, by 1972 the first president, Francisco Macias Nguema, had turned the country into a one-party state and taken on the title of president-for-life. Government and military positions were dominated by members of Nguema’s Esangui clan from the Mongomo District and part of the Fang ethnic group.
Nguema closed schools and churches, and jailed and executed thousands of people. It is estimated that by the time he was removed from power one-third of the population had fled the country.
In 1979 Nguema was toppled and executed in a coup orchestrated by his nephew, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who became president.
A new constitution was introduced in 1982 and the first multi-party elections were held in 1993. All presidential and legislative elections since then have been considered flawed and Obiang’s government is still dominated by members of his family or ethnic group.
In the mid-1990’s, the American oil company ExxonMobil found substantial oil reserves offshore and extraction began soon afterwards. The country has experienced substantial economic growth, but corruption has proliferated, preventing much of the revenue from reaching the general population.
In 2004 an alleged international plot to take over the country was uncovered. The government made several arrests and deported hundreds of foreigners in a crackdown on immigration.
Peace and security
Equatorial Guinea has had an ongoing territorial dispute with Gabon since the 1970’s over three islands in the Gulf of Guinea, including the potentially oil-rich island Mbanie. The two countries asked for UN to help with mediation and in 2004 both agreed to joint oil exploration. In March 2006 the presidents of both countries met in Geneva where they agreed to work out an accord to resolve the border issue, but in December 2006 Gabonese President Omar Bongo said that talks were at an impasse and he was ready to call on theInternational Court of Justice to resolve the matter.
There have been allegations of several coup attempts made to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea. One of the most recent was an international plot allegedly involving South African mercenaries linked to British businessmen, including the son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and exiled Equatoguinean opposition leader Severo Moto.
In the wake of the incident, hundreds of foreigners were deported and Amnesty International expressed concern that those arrested in connection with the coup plot would be tortured while in detention.
In 2005 the government accused 70 people of another coup attempt planned the previous year.
President Obiang suffers from prostate cancer and the New Internationalist reported that his frequent absences from the country to receive treatment increased the chances of him being overthrown. The Economist Intelligence Unit said the sudden death of the president could create a power vacuum that could destabilise the country.
In December 2006 Equatorial Guinea unilaterally closed its land border with Cameroon at Kye-Ossi and deported Cameroonians after a nun was reportedly attacked by Cameroonians.
IDPs/Refugees
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) does not report any internally displaced people or refugees living in Equatorial Guinea. The law provides for the granting of asylum and refugee status, but the country has yet to put in place a system to protect refugees.
Nearly one third of the country’s population went into exile during the regime of first president, Francisco Macias Nguema. Most went to Gabon, Cameroon and Spain. After a change in president in 1979 some exiles returned but found they faced discrimination. Most have chosen to stay abroad and in 2005 a march was organised in Madrid, Spain, by Equatoguinean exiles living there to protest against the regime of President Obiang.
Democracy and governance
Current President Teodoro Obiang Nguema has been in power since 1979, when he overthrew his uncle, the first president, Francisco Macias Nguema.
The country began a transition to a multi-party system in 1991 and presidential elections were held in 1996. In those polls and elections in 2002 Obiang won 99 percent of the vote. According to the NGO Freedom House , the country has never held credible elections and both presidential and legislative polls have been marred by intimidation and irregularities.
Opposition party members are reported to be harassed and face discrimination, and several opposition leaders have been arrested or gone into exile. Opposition leader Severo Moto launched a self-proclaimed government in exile in Spain. In December 2005 Spain revoked his asylum-status saying he was linked to attempted coups against Obiang’s government.
The journal Afrique Education found that nearly half of Equatorial Guinea’s 50 ministers are from the same Esangui clan as Obiang, and several are family members.
Some say Obiang’s son, referred to as Little Teodoro and current minister of forestry, is being groomed to succeed his father, but Freedom House reports that there is competition within Obiang’s inner circle, and this is creating divisions.
Obiang and his government have been accused of rampant corruption. The NGO Transparency International, which monitors state corruption, ranks Equatorial Guinea near the bottom of its Corruption Perceptions Index with a score of 2.1 out of 10.
In 2004 the US Senate launched an investigation that uncovered that US$700 million in state funds from Equatorial Guinea had been deposited into accounts at Riggs Bank in Washington D.C.
In 2006, Forbes Magazine listed Obiang as one of the richest rulers in the world, worth an estimated $600 million, and the same year his son bought a $35 million house in Malibu, California.
Media
Equatorial Guinea was named one of the top five most-censored countries by the Committee to Protect Journalists in 2006.
Freedom House reports that a 1992 press law gives extensive authority to the government to control the media. One of the provisions permits pre-publication censorship, and criticism of the president or security forces is rarely, if ever, tolerated. Journalists frequently face harassment and detention and must register with the Ministry of Information.
There is a state-owned newspaper and while other newspapers have licenses to publish they rarely do. Freedom House reports that one opposition newspaper manages to publish regularly but practices self-censorship.
Radio is the most popular form of media in the country, but all domestic networks are owned by the president’s family or are state-run. Foreign broadcasters, such as the BBC and Radio France Internationale can be heard, and Spanish Radio Exterior is the only radio source that provides opposition leaders with a voice.
The organisation Reporters Without Borders ranked Equatorial Guinea 137 out of 168 countries on its Press Freedom Index.
Economy
Equatorial Guinea is the third largest producer of oil in sub-Saharan Africa. Large oil reserves were discovered in the 1990s and since that time the country’s gross domesti product (GDP) has grown exponentially. The World Bank reported that between 2001 and 2005 GDP growth averaged 28.4 percent annually and according to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Organisation, the value of oil revenues went up from $3 million in 1993 to $2.7 billion in 2005.
The United Kingdom Foreign Office reports that oil production equalled 400,000 barrels per day in 2004 and is projected to reach 800,000 barrels per day by 2008. Current reserves are expected to last for another 10 to 20 years.
Oil exports account for 97 percent of the government’s budget. Other industries include cocoa, timber and coffee. These industries suffered during the presidency of Nguema, and are still recovering, overshadowed by oil production. During the 1980s and 1990s the country received foreign assistance but most aid has now ceased.
Equatorial Guinea has agreed to adhere to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative to monitor government spending of oil revenues and it is being assisted by the World Bank in drafting a poverty reduction strategy.
Population
Equatorial Guinea has a population of 500,000. The growth rate is 2.7 percent and on average women give birth to 5.9 children.
The main ethnic group is the Fang who account for just over half the population and live on the mainland. The Bubi, who make up 10 percent of the population, live mainly on the island of Bioko. There is also a significant population of Nigerian labourers.
Eighty percent of the population is Roman Catholic. There are also small pockets of Muslims and Protestants.
Development indicators
Despite high revenues from oil production, Equatorial Guinea only ranks 120 out of 177 countries on the UN Development Programme (UNDP)’s Human Development Index. According to the World Bank, oil revenue has not translated into human development, and this is reflected in poor development indicators.
According to the UNDP, life expectancy at birth is 42.8 years and the probability of not surviving past the age of 40 is 47.7 percent.
Over half the population has no access to an improved water source, and 19 percent of children under five are born underweight.
The combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrolment rate is 58.1 percent and the adult literacy rate is 87 percent.
Education
Boys have more opportunities to attend school than girls in Equatorial Guinea. According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the net enrolment rate is 91 percent for boys and 78 percent for girls. The Bureau of International Labour Affairs (ILAB) found that girls also have a greater tendency to drop out of school. It said this is due to traditional and cultural expectations placed on girls, including performing agricultural work. Early pregnancy was another reason for girls to drop out.
Enrolment rates are considerably lower at the secondary level. According to UNICEF, 30 percent of boys and 18 percent of girls are enrolled in secondary school.
The ILAB reports that although the constitution provides for free and compulsory primary education, school is inaccessible to some rural families due to the cost of school fees and materials.
ILAB noted that many teachers were insufficiently trained and were given their positions through political appointments. The government, in conjunction with the UNDP, pledged to train 2,000 new teachers by 2010 to have enough to enable all children to finish primary school.
Children
The legal age for employment in Equatorial Guinea is 14. UNICEF reports that 30 percent of children aged 5-14 are engaged in some form of labour. The ILAB reports that children work on family farms, in domestic work, as street vendors and in bars and grocery stores. Children are also reported to be involved in prostitution in the capital Malabo and Bata, the main city on the mainland.
In order to curb prostitution, delinquency and alcohol consumption amongst youths in urban areas, the government passed a law banning children under 17 from being on the streets or working after 11pm. There are no reports as to whether this is enforced.
ILAB reports that children from Benin, Cameroon and Nigeria are trafficked into the country. Girls are used for commercial sexual exploitation and to do domestic work, and boys are used for farm work and street vending. It was reported that boys from Nigeria worked in markets without pay or personal freedom.
In 2004, the government passed a law against human trafficking and has made convictions.
Amnesty International reported that two 12-year-old boys were unlawfully arrested and detained for two weeks at an adult prison facility.
The infant mortality rate in the country is 123 for every 1,000 live births and the under-five mortality rate is 205 for every 1,000 live births. Both rates have gone up since 1990.
Health
An African Economic Outlook report describes Equatorial Guinea’s health profile as “alarming”. Life expectancy at birth is one of the lowest in the region at only 42.8 years.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are 30 doctors for every 100,000 people.
The maternal mortality rate is also high at 880 deaths for every 100,000 live births. According to WHO, 64.6 percent of births are assisted by a skilled attendant.
Malaria is the leading cause of death in the country, and 43 percent of infant mortalities are related to the disease. Other endemic health problems include respiratory infections and diarrhoea. According to UNICEF, only 1 percent of children under five sleep under an insecticide-treated mosquito net.
There was a cholera epidemic in 2005 that killed close to 300 people. The spread of the disease was attributed to a lack of public funds. According to UNICEF, only 43 percent of the population has access to safe drinking water and 53 percent use adequate sanitation facilities.
Vaccination rates are also low, and only 33 percent of children are immunised against polio and 51 percent against measles.
According to the African Economic Outlook report, there are sufficient health centres to service the population but less that half are operational. Many lack basic equipment, and most medical staff are concentrated in urban areas.
HIV/AIDS
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Equatorial Guinea is 3.2 percent. The monitoring of HIV prevalence in women presenting at antenatal clinics has been sporadic and there is little up-to-date information.
There are approximately 8,000 people living with the disease, and it is believed to affect more women than men. There are less than 1,000 children under the age of 14 infected with HIV and it is estimated that 4,600 children under 17 years of age have been orphaned by the disease.
Food security
The country does not receive food aid from the World Food Programme and there are no reports of food shortages.
According to UNICEF , 19 percent of children under five are underweight, and 34 percent of children under five experience stunting.
Gender issues
In a report on the status of the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the committee in charge found that several obstacles persisted in Equatoguinean society preventing women from benefiting from their full rights.
The committee noted that customs and traditions were impediments to women’s rights and recommended that the government put in place policies that address inequalities in education, marriage, divorce, land ownership and politics.
The minister of promotion of women said practices in customary marriage treated women as property and frequently women were forced into unions. Generally, a dowry is involved and if the marriage breaks down the woman has to repay the dowry or face prison. The government was seeking to pass legislation to end these kinds of prison sentences, and to ensure widows could inherit the property of their late husbands.
The committee also expressed concern about domestic violence, polygamy and a rise in prostitution. It found men consider it their right to discipline their wives and that women were unaware of their rights. There is no legislation in place against domestic violence.
It attributed the rise in prostitution to migration towards cities and an influx of westerners due to the oil boom.
The report found that women represent 8.1 percent of government officials, including traditional chiefs, local council members, mayors or members of parliament.
Human rights
Equatorial Guinea has a poor human rights record that reflects the government’s tight control over the country. Amnesty International (AI) reported that police forces frequently acted with impunity, arresting and detaining suspects, including political prisoners, for long periods without laying charges, and committing unlawful killings.
Detainees were reportedly tortured, sometimes resulting in death, and some disappeared. A human rights report prepared by the US State Department said that at the end of 2005 there were less than 100 political prisoners in police custody.
AI also reported that suspects in a thwarted coup plot were not given fair trials. Most were held incommunicado and their convictions were based on confessions made under torture.
Prison conditions are very poor and the US State Department described them as life-threatening. In 2005 AI released a statement saying that at least 70 prisoners were facing starvation in Black Beach prison. The US State Department also reported that women and juveniles were not kept in separate facilities and that female prisoners were sexually assaulted by prison authorities and male prisoners.
Ethnic minorities have complained of discrimination by the majority Fang ethnic group, who control the government. The Bubi, the main group on the island of Bioko, are particularly targeted and Freedom House reports that Fang vigilante groups abuse Bubi citizens with impunity.
Humanitarian needs
Despite high revenues from oil production, poverty remains problematic and basic services are lacking. Human rights abuses are widespread and the population has yet to experience a free and democratic society. |
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| Equatorial Guinea in figures | · Population: 500,000
· Pop. growth rate: 2.7%
· GDP per capita: $20,510
· Debt service of GDP: 0.2%
· Pop. below poverty line: NA
· Life expectancy: 42.8 years
· Infant mortality: 123 deaths/1,000 live births
· Access to med. services: NA
· HIV prevalence: 3.2%
· Access to clean water: urban 45%, rural 42%
· Access to electricity: NA
· Literacy rate: 87%
· Doctors/people: 0.30/1000
· Displaced people: NA
· Refugees: NA
· Human development index: 0.653 (HDI 2006 rank 120 out 177)
Sources: UNDP, UNICEF, World Bank, UNAIDS, WHO |
| Basic facts | Capital: Malabo
Language: Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
Ethnic Groups (%): Fang 56.6%, migrant workers form Nigeria 12.5% (mainly Yoruba and Igbo), Bubi 10%, Seke 2.9%, Spanish 2.8%, other 15%
Religions (%): Roman Catholic 80.1percent, Muslim 4%, African Christian 3.7%, Protestant 3.1%, other 9.1%
Geography: coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic
Border countries: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, fish, hydropower
Agriculture products: coffee, cocoa, cassava, sweet potatoes, plantains, palm oil fruit, coconuts
Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica |
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