The Diplomat
The European Parliament blamed yesterday the “Equatorial Guinean dictatorial regime” of Teodoro Obiang Nguema for the death of the Spanish-Guinean opposition leader Julio Obama Mefuman. Likewise, it demanded an end to the “bitter persecution” of the democratic opposition and urged the EU and the Member States to “suspend all types of military, police and security cooperation with Equatorial Guinea.
In a resolution approved yesterday with 518 votes in favor, six against (two Irish deputies from The Left group and six “non-registered” MEPs) and 19 abstentions, the MEPs denounced “the extensive violations of human rights in Equatorial Guinea” and They describe the persecution of hundreds of political opponents, critics of the Government and defenders of human rights as “barbaric acts”.
Likewise, the resolution considers it “proven” that four members of the Movement for the Liberation of Equatorial Guinea Third Republic (MLGE3R) – Julio Obama Mefuman and Feliciano Efa Mangue, both with dual Equatoguinean and Spanish nationality, and Martín Obiang Ondo Mbasogo and Bienvenido Ndong Ono , residents in Spain for years – were kidnapped in South Sudan at the end of 2019 and taken to Equatorial Guinea on Teodoro Obiang’s presidential plane.
After being sentenced to 60 years in prison for terrorism and for preparing a coup, Obama Mefuman died in prison last month, recalls the text. For this reason, the European Parliament “requests the repatriation of his body and the release of the three remaining members of the MLGE3R and urges Equatorial Guinea to fully cooperate with the Spanish judicial authorities.”
Julio Obama Mefuman died in mid-January at the Bata hospital, as confirmed by sources from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time. Obama’s party assured that his death was due to the torture to which he was subjected and “strongly” urged the Spanish government to break “immediately” diplomatic relations with Equatorial Guinea. The regime immediately assured that he had died “of illness.” After learning of the death of Julio Obama, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the ambassador of Equatorial Guinea to ask him for explanations and request a pardon for Feliciano Efa Mangue.
The European Parliament resolution also regrets the “systematic and organized strategy of the Obiang dictatorial regime of political persecution and repression of political opponents both within the country and abroad”, which includes arbitrary arrests, harassment, kidnappings, forced transfers , torture, murder and death sentences.
In addition, it calls for the release of political prisoners and demands that the Equatorial Guinean authorities “respect international law on human rights, humane detention conditions, fair trials and access to families and lawyers for detainees.” The resolution urges the EU and its member states to “suspend all military, police and security cooperation with Equatorial Guinea” and to “sanction members of the regime who have perpetrated human rights violations.”
