Equatorial Guinea's Investments In Infrastructure In Line With Imf Recommendations

The government of Equatorial Guinea has heavily invested the country’s oil revenues in its infrastructure to enhance its growth potential.

The state-of-the art Sipopo Conference Center is an example of the return on investment Equatorial Guinea has received from investing its revenues in the infrastructure sector. The West African nation has extensive experience in hosting international conferences, forums and other events. The country is quickly becoming one of the top meeting venues on the African continent.

The country’s efforts have been encouraged by the IMF, which released a report on the Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the need for the region to develop its infrastructure sector to enhance its growth potential and promote economic diversification and structural transformation.

The report also recommended that nations invest in improving the quality of education and training and adopt legal and regulatory reforms to support the creation of jobs in the private sector. Equatorial Guinea has invested heavily in education and currently boasts the highest literacy rates among adults and youth in Africa, according to UNESCO.

Equatorial Guinea has partnered with universities in Africa, Latin America, Europe, Asia to bring professors to the country and send Equatoguinean professors abroad for training and higher education. It has research and exchange agreements with Drexel University and Texas Tech University in the United States.

It has heavily invested in professional training at all levels. Foreign companies doing business in the country have been encouraged to spend resources in training local employees, which has resulted in an increased employment rate. The government has made education a top priority and it’s reflected in the Horizon 2020 development plan.

The IMf report concluded with concerns that the Ebola epidemic represents a barrier to growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. The government of Equatorial Guinea has spent more than US$13 million (600 million CFAs) in recent months to fight the Ebola virus. It has taken a number of preventive measures after it formed a national commission to lead anti-Ebola efforts. Equatorial Guinea took a proactive approach to the Ebola threat as it continues to affect neighboring regions.

Equatorial Guinea has purchased special ambulances, ambulatory hospitals (tents) and thermographic cameras for airports (which will be used to detect whether an arrival has had a fever in the prior 72 hours), trained health personnel assigned to these health units, and purchased drugs for palliative treatment and laser thermometers for all the borders, among other initiatives.

President Obiang will meet soon with Central Africa Heads of State to discuss security issues and the collective efforts of the region to fight the Ebola virus.

President Obiang Grants Amnesty to All Citizens Convicted Of Political Crimes

Amnesty Aims to Encourage All Political Parties to Participate in National Dialogue

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea—October 24, 2014— Equatorial Guinea’s President, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has signed an amnesty decree granting pardon to all citizens who had been convicted of political crimes, whether or not they have served or are serving sentences, and to those who have begun any disciplinary action that constitutes an obstacle to the exercise of political activities.

President Obiang signed the General Amnesty Decree within the framework of the National Political Dialogue, a national roundtable dialogue aimed at legalizing all political parties to which all legalized political parties and national political forces outside the country have been invited. “Through this General Amnesty Decree, the Government guarantees the Diaspora’s participation in the national dialogue,” said Obiang.

“The General Amnesty provides general forgiveness, turning a new leaf and forgetting the past,” he said. The government has taken this step to show everyone its political will is firm. The National Dialogue will allow all the national political parties to carry out their programs.”

He said in his signing statement, “…in order to offer greater liberty, security and guarantees in the next process of national dialogue proposed by the Government, it is necessary to grant Total Amnesty to those who through a final sentence were made prisoners or were prevented from exercising their political rights in the country.”

To further encourage the political exiles residing in Spain to attend the National Dialogue, the government announced that it would cover their airfare through Equatorial Guinea’s national airline, Ceiba Intercontinental, on its Madrid-Malabo flights.  The National Dialogue will take place next month in Equatorial Guinea.

Full General Amnesty Decree can be found here http://guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=5815&lang=en

DECREE NUMBER 127 of 2014, dated October 21, grants General Amnesty in Equatorial Guinea to all persons convicted for political offenses and to those who are in a judicial process for the same offenses:

Constituting the Fundamental Objective of My Government, since the historical changes in the country in 1979, the gradual transformation of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea into a State ruled by Law, where individual and collective freedoms find their positive response to the practical application of the International Covenant of Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Government, having signed and ratified the aforementioned international instruments and others of a similar nature that promote and protect human rights of Citizens in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

Whereas the provisions of the Basic Law of Equatorial Guinea, regarding the rights of the citizens, stated in Article 13, should be enjoyed without limitations except those established by law.

Whereas the rights and freedoms recognized by the Basic Law of Equatorial Guinea and the cited international instruments are essential to the full development of citizens at all levels of the socio-political life of the country.

Whereas Amnesty, in its broadest sense, involves the concept of a full pardon and forgetting the responsibilities and offenses of the individuals or those persons who receive its benefits, has constituted a legal practice used by the Government to promote national reconciliation, unity, solidarity and social cohesion, in order to reach a solid consensus on national interests; all political actors in Equatorial Guinea should lay down their personal ambitions to ensure the interest of the Nation, which is to continue to preserve the Peace, Political and Social Stability of the Nation.

Whereas, furthermore, the successful celebration of the Forty-Sixth Anniversary of National Independence in the city of Ebebiyin, on October 12 of this year, an event in which the People externalized their overflowing joy and happiness for the atmosphere of peace, stability, development and prosperity. This environment of material and moral satisfaction of the People should extend to all Equatorial Guinean families and households, to allow broad participation of all the political actors in the national dialogue scheduled for next November, between the Government and the Political Parties of the country, within the framework of the binding National Covenant, without limitations imposed by a penalty or coercive judgment or other legal impediment.

As it is My will to preserve these rights for a physical and moral integration of the citizens, and in order to offer greater liberty, security and guarantees in the next process of national dialogue proposed by the Government, it is necessary to grant Total Amnesty to those who through a final sentence were made prisoners or were prevented from exercising their political rights in the country.

By virtue and in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the Basic Law in its Article 41 (point I);

I HEREBY DECREE

Article One - Total Amnesty is granted to all citizens convicted by the courts of Equatorial Guinea for political crimes in the exercise of their activities, whether or not they are fulfilling their corresponding sentences, and to those who have entered into an initiation of disciplinary action that constitutes an obstacle to the exercise of political activities.

Article Two - The Ministries of Justice, Religious Affairs and Penitentiary Institutions, of National Defense, of National Security, and of Internal Affairs and Local Corporations, will each be given authority in its field of competence, to ensure the strict compliance with this Decree.

Final provision

This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its signing and publication by the National News Media.

I hereby issue this Decree, in the city of Malabo on October 21, 2014.

FOR A BETTER GUINEA
Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
President of the Republic

Vice President of Equatorial Guinea Settles Case With Justice Department

Proceeds from sale of some property will benefit the people of Equatorial Guinea

The Second Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mbasogo, announced last night that he had reached a settlement with the Justice Department that will end the U.S. government’s efforts to seize his property in the United States and pursue seizure of property he holds outside the United States.

Under the agreement, Mr. Nguema will liquidate his residence in Malibu, California, sell one automobile and two statues, a make a one-time payment of one million dollars. The funds realized will be used for the benefit of the people of Equatorial Guinea through a mechanism to be agreed by both parties.

Mr. Nguema will forfeit to the U.S. government funds in the amount of $10.3 million that are currently in an escrow account. The Department of Justice will not pursue seizure of a private aircraft owned by Mr. Nguema, which is currently outside the country.

The U.S. government’s case had been rejected for lack of probable cause by federal courts, but Mr. Nguema said he decided to settle in the interests of his country.

“I agreed to settle this case despite the fact that the U.S. federal courts had consistently found that the Department of Justice lacked probable cause to seize my property, which was acquired with funds earned in accordance with the laws of my country and through business dealings inside and outside Equatorial Guinea,” Mr. Nguema said in a statement posted on Facebook.

“However, the case had become a significant distraction from my official responsibilities and an unnecessary irritant in the relationship between Equatorial Guinea and the United States.”

He also said that the ability to use funds raised from the sale of the properties for the benefit of the people of Equatorial Guinea was a major factor in his acceptance of the agreement.

“My government has worked tirelessly to create opportunity and improve living standards in Equatorial Guinea. We were once the poorest country in Africa, but we have used our oil resources to produce the highest literacy rate and the highest per-capita government expenditure on health care on the continent, as well as infrastructure that is opening economic opportunities and encouraging initiative and growth,” he said. “I am proud to add the funds from this settlement to the charitable work I have sponsored for many years in Equatorial Guinea.”

Mr. Nguema praised the American justice system, saying that he had “received fair and equitable treatment at every stage of these proceedings by the American justice system. I have found the American courts to be scrupulously fair to me, a citizen of another country who had been presumed guilty of corruption in the press and by some in the United States Congress,” he said.

The text of Mr. Nguema’s statement follows:

Statement by Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, Vice President of Equatorial Guinea

October 9, 2014

This week, I reached an agreement with the United States Department of Justice that ends the Justice Department’s efforts to seize certain of my properties located inside and outside the United States. Under the agreement, I have agreed to sell some assets in the United States, including a residence in Malibu, California, and pay a cash settlement. In return, the United States government has dropped its claims against some of my property. Funds generated through this agreement will be used for the benefit of the people of Equatorial Guinea.

I am pleased to be able to end this long and costly ordeal. I agreed to settle this case despite the fact that the U.S. federal courts had consistently found that the Department of Justice lacked probable cause to seize my property, which was acquired with funds earned in accordance with the laws of my country and through business dealings inside and outside Equatorial Guinea. However, the case had become a significant distraction from my official responsibilities and an unnecessary irritant in the relationship between Equatorial Guinea and the United States.

Like most people in my country and my government, I admire the United States. We consider the United States to be an important partner in our economic and social development and a model for the development of our democracy. For the good of my country, it was important to resolve this matter and put the relationship back on firm footing.

The most important factor that encouraged me to agree to this settlement was the provision requiring the monies from the forfeiture of my property to be used for the benefit of the people of Equatorial Guinea. To that end, this agreement establishes a mechanism to determine the projects to be funded from these assets and to ensure that the funds will be used as intended.

My government has worked tirelessly to create opportunity and improve living standards in Equatorial Guinea. We were once the poorest country in Africa, but we have used our oil resources to produce the highest literacy rate and the highest per-capita government expenditure on health care on the continent, as well as infrastructure that is opening economic opportunities and encouraging initiative and growth. I am proud to add the funds from this settlement to the charitable work I have sponsored for many years in Equatorial Guinea.

I wish to recognize that, despite my fundamental disagreement with the Justice Department’s legal reasoning for this case, I have received fair and equitable treatment at every stage of these proceedings by the American justice system. I have found the American courts to be scrupulously fair to me, a citizen of another country who had been presumed guilty of corruption in the press and by some in the United States Congress. This commitment to equal justice under the law is one of the qualities for which American democracy is rightly admired, and I am grateful to have experienced it.

Equatorial Guinea Wins San Diego Festival Awards

West African Nation assists Foreign Film Producers in finding talent and locations

The first international feature film shot in Equatorial Guinea,Where the Road Runs Out, has won two awards at the San Diego 2014 Film Festival. A local Equatorial Guinea film crew gained important experience by participating in the film.

According to a recent article by IndieWire, Where The Road Runs Out also won Best Feature and was the winner of the San Diego Union Tribune UT Award in a lineup that included You're Not You (Josh Duhamel, Emmy Rossum and Hilary Swank), The Imitation Game (Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley), and Wild (Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern). The feature film shot in Equatorial Guinea has also been selected for the 2014 Heartland Film Festival, which will take place this month. 

Feature scenes of Where the Road Runs Out were filmed in Equatorial Guinea, South Africa and The Netherlands. The film was produced by Dutch production company Firenze Film in conjunction with the Motion Picture Association of Equatorial Guinea (ACIGE). A young Equatorial Guinean film crew participated in the production.

Where the Road Runs Out was directed by South African film maker Rudolf Buitendach and headlined by Ivorian actor Isaach De Bankolé (Casino Royale), winner of a Cesar Award, along with Juliet Landau, daughter of Martin Landau, and Stelio Savante, who starred opposite Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind in 2001. The screenplay was written by David Hughes (A Night at the Museum with McFly).

Equatorial Guinea welcomes film production companies. The country's unspoiled coasts and interior, abundant wildlife, and picturesque cities offer valuable locations, and its modern infrastructure allows for easy transportation of people and equipment. The Motion Picture Association of Equatorial Guinea supports foreign film producers in finding talent and locations and in navigating government requirements.