IREX
International Research & Exchanges Board

MSI Africa 2006-2007

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EQUATORIAL GUINEA

Introduction

Overall Country Score:  1.01

Ranking after Nigeria and Angola among oil exporters in Sub-Saharan Africa, Equatorial Guinea has greatly increased its national income within the past decade. However, the rate of poverty is still high. Access to basic social services such as housing, water, electricity, and health care are still severely limited for a substantial part of the population.

Equatorial Guinea gained its independence from Spain in 1968, with Francisco Macias Nguema as the first president. A few months later, he instituted a bloody dictatorship, proclaiming himself president for life. In  1979, Vice-Minister of Defense Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo led a palace revolution against Nguema, his uncle. Nguema was put on trial for various political, economic, and human rights offenses and was executed. Mbasogo instituted military rule until 1982, at which time he set in place civilian rule with himself as president. He won the first presidential elections in 1989 and has won every election since, though local opposition and international observers, including the European Union, have called these elections “fraudulent.”

As a general rule, the human rights situation is poor in Equatorial Guinea. Extrajudicial detentions, torture of prisoners, civilians judged by military courts, and other abuses are made possible by the impunity enjoyed by government perpetrators. For comparison, Freedom House’s 2007 survey Freedom in the World ranked Equatorial Guinea comparable to Eritrea. The Committee to Protect Journalists ranked Equatorial Guinea as one of the five “most-censored countries” in 2006.

As another indication of the civil state in Equatorial Guinea, mass media outlets are either tightly controlled or financially disabled. In 1992, a press law was passed. The first independent newspaper, El Sol, was established that year, although it appeared for only a few months because of political pressure and economic restrictions. The government of President Ngwema, who is called the “God of Equatorial Guinea” by state radio, allows no independent media until it is made certain the proposed outlet it is not secretly a platform for an opposition party. Criticism of the government in the few independent outlets is strictly prohibited. The very few independent journalists working for the foreign press are watched closely.

Consequently, panelists gave low scores for each objective. Objective 2, professional journalism, pulled up the average, with a score of 1.56. Panelists rated Objective 4, business management, by far the lowest (0.20), reflecting that most media are simply run as a mouthpiece for the government and that the poor economy cannot support commercial media.

IREX’s partner implementing the Equatorial Guinea study, Kinshasa-based Journalists in Danger (JED), sought, and failed to receive, the Ministry of Information’s permission to hold a panel discussion. Such permission is required for any media-related meeting or press conference and is further indicative of the state of freedom of expression in Equatorial Guinea. JED therefore distributed and collected questionnaires from panelists and prepared the following chapter based on their responses.

Objective 1: Freedom of Speech

Score: 1.32

Most indicators in this objective were approximately as low as the final average. With a rating about a point more than the average, Indicator 9, restrictions on joining the journalism profession, pulled up the score. Panelists rated Indicator 3, market entry and tax structure, particularly low, at just above 0.

All panelists wrote that even though legal texts protect freedom of expression on paper, they are enforced differently according to whether one works in the private or state press. Private-press journalists are the most punished, and sometimes barred from the profession, whenever they show independence or objectivity in their work by presenting the real events happening in the country. Manuel Nse Nsogo Angue, journalist and trainer, wrote that because of this situation, journalists live in a permanent state of insecurity. They are prosecuted every time they denounce the corruption that pervades the government and economy.

In terms of access to news sources, Angue wrote that the state media enjoy favorable treatment over independent journalists. All public information is strictly reserved for the state-run media, despite the fact that there is no specific regulation excluding the private and international press to access such information.

While the 2007 JED report on freedom of the press in Central Africa showed no cases of arrests or imprisonment of journalists, this is due neither to an openness of the current regime nor to any policy respecting freedom of expression or speech. Rather, it is a reflection of fear in the profession and the unwillingness of journalists to speak out and risk perturbing the government. Rodrigo Angwema wrote that journalists seen as critical of the government frequently have their equipment confiscated and are arrested and detained for several months before police release them. He stated that these cases remain unreported. No official media speak of journalists being arrested or of censorship of the press—not even when their own journalists are involved.

Objective 2: Professional Journalism

Score: 1.56

Panelists rated Indicators 1 and 2 on the high side, above 2, noting that the reporting that does exist is fair and follows ethical standards. However, low scores in Indicators 3 and 8 reflect a sense that reporting is marred by self-censorship and lacks depth and an investigative angle. Furthermore, panelists gave the lowest score to Indicator 5, pay levels for journalists.

There is no self-regulatory authority for the media in Equatorial Guinea. The Ministry of Information decides who is fit to practice journalism, given that the number of media in the country is very low.

Foreign press correspondents and the few independent journalists have to face many annoyances: access is denied to official news sources, and bans exist on reporting events involving the president and other members of the government. As a result, coverage of key events suffers.

The hostile attitude towards independent media is sometimes adopted even by representatives of organizations within the United Nations’ presence in Equatorial Guinea. The UN often avoids inviting the independent press or foreign correspondents to its meetings with the government, its seminars, or other activities that it organizes.

As civil servants, journalists working in the official media are appointed by the president. They are subjected to arbitrary sanctions; for example, their direct superiors can suspend them for several days and they have no way to appeal. The victimized journalists, out of fear that they might worsen their situation, also conceal such cases.

Objective 3: Plurality of News

Score: 1.11

Indicators 3, 4, 5, and 6 scored below 1 in this objective, reflecting the strict pro-government policy of state media, lack of independent news agencies, absence of independent news programming in the few private broadcasters, and lack of transparency in the ownership of private media. Only Indicator 2 scored relatively well (more than a point higher), as citizens have few restrictions on access to media, other than poverty.

Radio-Television of Equatorial Guinea (RTVEG), the state-run public media, has one station in Malabo and another in Bata, the country’s second largest city and its economic capital, situated on continental Africa. The two official state-owned weekly papers, Ebano and Poto-poto, come out irregularly. There is also a private radio and television station called Asonga based in Bata, with a subsidiary station in Malabo. Asonga belongs to the oldest son of the president. State media reflect solely the views of the government and do not serve the public interest.

The private press, as such, barely exists; previously independent papers are not currently operational on any regular basis. No independent news agency exists. Two tabloids, La Gaceta and Ceiba, would like to pass themselves off as independent papers,but are in fact at the disposal of the authorities. They are run by a regime bigwig, Augustin Nze Nfumu, former secretary general of the ruling party and currently the ambassador to Great Britain. Due to this connection, the two magazines’ content is limited to articles and photos highlighting the activities of the government.

Objective 4: Business Management

Score: 0.20

All indicators scored similarly low in this objective. None scored higher than half a point. Media in Equatorial Guinea are simply not businesses. Regulatory burdens and economic hardships mean that a truly independent media outlet would be unlikely to survive.

As state-run media, RTVEG depends on the budget of the Ministry of Information and is not intended to raise revenue; it is managed like an agency of the government.

La Gaceta and Ceiba have a monopoly, granted by the Ministry of Information, on print media advertising. State-owned companies, private companies, and foreign companies, including U.S. oil companies, place advertisements with these papers, and panelists wrote that they both take in substantial revenue in this way. It is not uncommon to find 20 pages of advertisements in a 30-page issue of La Gaceta.

For lack of financial means, El Sol, El Tiempo, and L’opinion ceased their activity several years ago. The state provides no subsidy for the private media.

Market research is not used, broadcast ratings are not prepared, and circulation figures are not independently verified.

Objective 5: Supporting Institutions

Score: 0.85

Equatorial Guinea has no truly independent civil society organizations, and panelists’ scores reflected a lack of available support from associations and other institutions for the media sector. All indicators scored close to the final average, except for Indicator 1, covering trade associations, that came in at nearly 0.

In theory, a few supporting institutions are charged with protecting the interests of media professionals and providing training opportunities. These include the Association of Press Publishers of Guinea and the Association of Journalists Fighting HIV/AIDS. In reality, these institutions are not operational, for lack of funding and because their activities are under the strict supervision of the government. Any meeting of the members of these organizations needs preliminary authorization from the Ministry of Information.

The National University of Equatorial Guinea teaches communications in its School for Social Sciences, but in general, the curriculum does not cover what would be considered journalism.

Panel Participants

Manuel Nse Nsogo Angue, journalism trainer, Malabo
Ramon Etobori Mba, journalist, Ebano Newspaper, Malabo
Carlos Ona Boriesa, journalist, The Verdao, Malabo
Tonas Epomo, journalist, Radio Bata, Bata
Martin Ela Quido, journalist, Nacional TV, Malabo
Samuel Obiang, correspondent, Africa 1, Malabo
Gil Obiang Ochaga, journalist, Ebano Newspaper, Malabo

Moderator:

Rodrigo Anguan-Nguema, jorunalist, JED, Malabo