Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo ( born June 5, 1942 in Akoakam - Esangui ) since 1979 authoritarian president of Equatorial Guinea.

Early years

He was born in the district of Mongomo in Río Muni, the mainland territory of the former Spanish colony, the third of ten children of an immigrant from Gabon. He belongs to the capture, where the majority in the country. After primary school he attended in Mongomo a Spanish church college in the coastal city of Bata. After schooling he joined in 1963 ( when the country was limited autonomy ) in the Territorial Guard and was sent to Spain in the same year to the Military Academy of Zaragoza. After his return in 1965, he served in the Territorial Guard in Mikomeseng on the border with Cameroon. He came back as a second lieutenant.

Supreme Commander

In the aftermath Obiang was. inter alia, in Bata and in Santa Isabel (now Malabo capital ) used to Fernando Poo ( Bioko today ). After his uncle Francisco Macías Nguema, previously Mayor of Mongomo, first President had become with the independence of Equatorial Guinea, Obiang made ​​quick career. In 1969 he was a lieutenant chief of the National Guard, a year later, promoted to captain, commander stationed on Fernando Poo forces.

President

Coup in 1979

On August 3, 1979, he overthrew his uncle in a coup. After the seizure of power he had to kill his uncle. When he was officially appointed in October 1979 as President, he promised a reform of the state and the facilitation of the exploited by his uncle population. During whose reign the country's population had declined by about one third. In 1981, he reconciled with Spain, with which his uncle had broken, and received economic aid. He solved the country slowly to its close ties with the Soviet Union and allowed the church back to work after his uncle Equatorial Guinea had declared in May 1978 to the atheist state.

New constitutions

Initially he has served as chairman of the military council, he led in 1982 a new constitution. This was adopted on 15 August 1982 95.38 % of the vote and entered into force seven days later. Back in April, he had called Cristino Seriche Bioko as prime minister. With the new constitution his first seven-year term began as " elected " president. The old unit PUNT party was disbanded after his seizure of power, the election of 41 MPs of the new Parliament on 28 August 1983, it came without parties. In 1987 he founded a new Unity Party, the Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial ( PDGE ), which won all the seats in the parliamentary elections in July 1988. He was re-elected in June 1989, with 99 % of votes.

During the general democratization in Africa after 1989 also Obiang changed at least superficially its course, leaving on 16 November 1991, a new constitution with 94.3 % of the vote approve in a referendum. On November 21, 1993 1968 saw the first multiparty elections took place in which his PDGE received 68 of the 80 seats. From foreign observers, these elections were described as little fair. At the end of his second seven-year term as president, he was again confirmed on 25 February 1996, this time 97.85 % of the vote. The opposition had boycotted those elections. The next parliamentary elections on March 7, 1999 brought his PDGE 75 of the 80 seats. The presidential elections on 15 December 2002, he won with 97.1 % of the vote again. The four opposition candidates had withdrawn again in advance, Celestino Bonifacio Bacale still received 2.2%. At the next parliamentary elections on 25 April 2004 he was PDGE ran as part of a coalition that won 98 of 100 seats now, the PDGE alone 68 His former Prime Minister Cristino Seriche Bioko founded late 2004, the opposition party VDDC that seeks his replacement.

Coup attempt in 2004

In March 2004, he declared that a conspiracy against his government had been uncovered when the intelligence services of the United States, Britain and Spain were involved. 15 people were arrested, and shortly thereafter, a group of 70 mercenaries led by Simon Mann was at the airport in Harare in Zimbabwe arrested. To bind these mercenaries to government agencies, there was no evidence. General maintains Obiang Nguema good relations with the Western world. Caused a stir that Mark Thatcher later admitted to participate in this coup attempt.

2009 election and succession question

With a vote of 95.4 percent of the vote Obiang Nguema was confirmed on November 29, 2009 in his office. The remaining votes were cast on four opposing candidates. The opposition and human rights groups accused the government of electoral fraud.

In the event of his death his son Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the reigning Forestry Minister shall, as a potential successor.

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo one of the richest world leaders. His fortune is estimated at 600 million U.S. dollars.

Human rights situation

Under Nguema torture and ill-treatment of activists of opposition parties or to members of the Bubi ethnic group are held. In February 1997, Nguema was publicly acknowledged that human rights were systematically violated, and announced measures to remedy the situation on; nevertheless occurred in January 1998 further human rights violations. The government continues to deny its approval for establishment of local human rights organizations.

Since Equatorial Guinea is one of the oil producers, the elite of the country enjoys growing prosperity. The poor also Obiang Nguemas government land was to Nigeria and Angola, the third largest oil producing country in Africa south of the Sahara.