Chéserex, Switzerland | AFP | A Swiss auction of 25 supercars seized from the playboy son of Equatorial Guinea’s president fetched 21.6 million euros ($23.6 million) Sunday — substantially more than expected. The money made from the Geneva auction will go to charities helping the poorest people in the tiny …
Read More »Staying power: the world’s longest-serving leaders
Paris, France | AFP | Teodoro Obiang Nguema, president of Equatorial Guinea for 40 years on Saturday, is the world’s longest-serving living leader apart from Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, on the throne for 67 years. Africa’s longest-serving ruler was also a monarch: Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie reigned for 44 years …
Read More »E.Guinea army chief-of-staff fired: presidency
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP | Equatorial Guinea’s army chief-of-staff, who was only appointed to the post in October, has been sacked by the president, state television has reported. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who has ruled the oil-rich country with an iron fist for 39 years, fired Colonel Ruslan Hermes …
Read More »Equatorial Guinea court upholds opposition ban, jail terms
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP | Equatorial Guinea’s paramount court on Monday confirmed the dissolution of the country’s main opposition and upheld 30-year jail terms handed to 21 of its members. A former Spanish colony of 1.2 million people, awash with oil but mired in poverty and a reputation for …
Read More »E.Guinea calls for African ‘human rights institutions’
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP | Equatorial Guinea called Wednesday for national human rights institutions to replace international organisations across Africa, after facing accusations of a bloody crackdown following a failed coup bid last year. “I will propose the creation of human rights institutions in each African country”, longtime President …
Read More »E.Guinea’s attorney general says opposition party ‘must be dissolved’
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP | Equatorial Guinea’s main opposition party “must be dissolved”, the attorney general has said during the trial of 147 of its activists who are accused of “rebellion”. “The Citizens for Innovation (CI) party should be dissolved, there is violence wherever it holds meetings,” said David …
Read More »France urges UN’s top court to dump E. Guinea case
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | France on Monday urged the UN’s top court to throw out a case brought against it in a bitter diplomatic row with oil-rich Equatorial Guinea over French accusations of top-level corruption. “France has not accepted the jurisdiction of this court under any title whatsoever …
Read More »147 activists face death penalty in E.Guinea: lawyer
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP | Equatorial Guinea’s public prosecutor is seeking the death penalty in the trial of 147 opposition activists accused of “rebellion,” their lawyer said on Wednesday. The activists, including senior officials of the main opposition party, the Citizens for Innovation (CI), were arrested following elections in …
Read More »E.Guinea president reappoints same team after polls
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP | Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema has reappointed his prime minister after dissolving the government last week. “Making use of the powers granted to me by law, I appoint Francisco Pascual Obama Asue as Prime Minister in charge of administrative coordination,” said a presidential …
Read More »E. Guinea president dissolves government after polls
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP | Equatorial Guinea’s president Teodoro Obiang Nguema has dissolved his government, including the powers of the prime minister and his three deputies, according to a decree read out on state television on Saturday. The country went to the polls for legislative, senatorial and municipal elections …
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