The Diplomat in Spain

PDGE logo.

Eduardo González. 16/07/2018

The Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), the formation of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, has expressed his «protest» at the «interference» of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs «in the face of false news published in the international press» regarding «the false deaths of two alleged political prisoners», Juan Obama Edú and Santiago Ebee Elá, of the outlawed Citizens for Innovation (CI) party.

The PDGE has asked the Spanish authorities that, «before launching such an unfortunate statement and that it can negatively influence the relations between our two countries, adequately investigate the facts that are being discussed«. In the aforementioned statement, the Spanish Government specifically calls on the Equatorial Guinean authorities to open «a public and urgent investigation into the causes that have surrounded both deaths».

According to Obiang’s party, «none of the two mentioned persons has died in prisons or has suffered any abuse, as any member of the Spanish diplomacy who is really interested in this matter will confirm».

In its communiqué, the Spanish Government stated that Ebee Elá had died «while in the custody of the Security Forces, at the Central Police Commissioner of Malabo», as Obiang himself implicitly admitted last January.

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«Equatorial Guinea could talk about political prisoners in Catalonia, but abstains from respect and education»

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«This man was sick. A person can die in the hospital or at home, and if the time comes while being arrested, it is not the Police’s fault”, Obiang told Radio France International. In this regard, Spain also recalled in its statement that «the Government of Equatorial Guinea is responsible for the health and safety of the people in its custody».

As for Obama Edú, his death took place in the prison of Evinyong, where he served his sentence after the macro trial of Mongomo last February and in which, according to Spain, he did not receive «adequate medical follow-up».

According to the PDGE, «the Government of Equatorial Guinea could also, for example, publish a statement with its opinion on the political prisoners of Catalonia, imprisoned for wanting to vote in a supposedly democratic country, but in which, however, it is not allowed the realization of certain elections», continued the party of Obiang Nguema.

«Obviously, the Government of Equatorial Guinea, as it is an advanced government, educated and respectful, will always refrain from making any type of communication of this type, so as not to disrespect a sovereign and brother country», PDGE said.

On July 6 (the same day of the PDGE statement), the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Equatorial Guinea, Simeón Oyono Esono, granted an audience to the Ambassador of Spain, Guillermo Antonio López Mac-Lellan, to whom he requested that «certain Spanish institutions do not constitute obstacles for the normal functioning of relations with the current Government of Madrid».