More than 1,000 families in Equatorial Guinea have been forcibly evicted from their homes to make room for roads, up-market housing and hotels and shopping centers since 2003. Homes have been demolished in the capital, Malabo, and on the mainland, in the major city of Bata, as well as in other large towns. Many of the houses demolished were solid structures in well-established neighborhoods and the vast majority of the occupants had title to the land.
Despite promises of relocation for some of the victims, to date no one has been re-housed or compensated. Even the houses promised to the victims will have to be bought at a cost that far exceeds their ability to pay, and the houses are located far from the city and from their work and schools. Thousands more are at risk as the authorities embark on a program of urban regeneration. The new wealth brought about by the discovery of oil in the mid-1990s has led to pressure on the land for commercial purposes, as well as up-market housing. In addition, the authorities have started to rehabilitate the main cities and their infrastructure. On several occasions, the media has reported the publicly expressed intentions of the authorities to rid the cities of so-called shanty towns. Under these initiatives, many more families risk being forcibly evicted from their homes.
On the launch of its 2015 State of the World report, Amnesty International USA urged President Obama to use his last year in office to bring U.S. laws and policies in line with international human rights standards.
International protection of human rights is in danger of unravelling as short-term national self-interest and draconian security crackdowns have led to a wholesale assault on basic freedoms and rights, warned Amnesty International as it launched its annual assessment of human rights around the world. “Your rights are in jeopardy: they are being treated with utter contempt by many governments around the world,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
International protection of human rights is in danger of unravelling as short-term national self-interest and draconian security crackdowns have led to a wholesale assault on basic freedoms and rights, warned Amnesty International as it launched its annual assessment of human rights around the world. “Your rights are in jeopardy: they are being treated with utter contempt by many governments around the world,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
This has been a devastating year for those seeking to stand up for human rights and for those caught up in the suffering of war zones. Governments pay lip service to the importance of protecting civilians. And yet the world's politicians have miserably failed to protect those in greatest need. Amnesty International believes that this can and must finally change.
The authorities in Equatorial Guinea must immediately end a draconian clampdown on freedom of expression taking place ahead of an African Union summit in the capital Malabo on 23 June, Amnesty International said today.
Head of state Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Head of government Ignacio Milán Tang Death penalty retentionist Population .7 million Life expectancy 49.9 years Under-5 mortality (m/f) 177/160 per 1,000 Adult …