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afrol.com, 12 November - Interviewing the President of the oppositional Equatorial Guinean Unión Democrática Independiente (UDI), Daniel Oyono, afrol.com asked him to describe the political situation for the opposition parties of his country. Oyono draws a picture of humiliations, detentions, torture, abductions and assassinations. - Which are the principal opposition parties in Equatorial Guinea at the moment? afrol.com asked Oyono.
The Equatorial Guinean opposition is said to be weakened by cleavage, thus not posing a threat to the governing party, PDGE, and President Teodoro Obiang. We therefore asked Oyono if there existed any plans or strategies by the Equatorial Guinean opposition to unite forces against the Government. - The UDI certainly is working towards this aim, Oyono replies. "Therefore we have implemented joint accords with the MAIB, FDR and UP, in addition to joint projects with the MAIB, wide-ranging relations with the CPDS and UDDS and correct relations with the PP." Although Oyono cannot confirm any plans to merger the opposition, he confirms that there is a general cooperation.
President Obiang's Government is not renown for its pluralism, so afrol.com asked the UDI President if the opposition had any contact with the Government, if there existed a dialogue and if the President listened to the opposition. Oyono shakes his head. "According to the information we have, there does not exist any relationship between the Guinean Government, which is better named Teodoro Obiang, and the major oppositional political parties. The Head of Government is afraid of the dialogue and more than that, he is afraid of a political solution to the situation in [Equatorial] Guinea. The UDI frequently attacks the Government about the living conditions in Equatorial Guinea, especially when it comes to human rights and corruption. afrol.com asked Oyono if the Government ever answered to these accusations. - The Equatorial Guinean regime has had as a norm for 21 years never to accept any critics, even if it is common knowledge, Oyono answers. "The only exception is, and this only happened 2 months ago, that Teodoro Obiang himself publicly admitted that there exists much corruption throughout the Government and the public administration, that money coming from the oil sector is disappearing and that there exist human rights violations." But, he continues, "at the same time he invited the followers of his PDGE party to persecute the supposed delinquents, who of course could not be others than oppositionals, no regarding their lives." Oyono is upset. "How can a Head of State initiate such a violence?" he asks. Turning back to the UDI, afrol.com asked if the Government also had threatened party members. - Everybody is permanently threatened in [Equatorial] Guinea, especially if related to the opposition, Oyono firmly replies. He gives examples. "A simple complaint, for example saying that you don't have medicines for your kid or don't have food to eat, is enough reason to get detained, tortured and accused of conspiring against the Government. In real life, therefore, under this permanent persecution, both UDI members and sympathisers, such as the other opposition parties [living in Equatorial Guinea] do not make themselves visible and they practically operate underground." Bioko's movement for autonomy - The UDI is a member of the Movement for the Autodetermination of the Island of Bioko (MAIB), he replies. "Together with the MAIB, we are developing and maintaining a joint, national political project and government program for Equatorial Guinea. The only demand by the MAIB is the decentralisation of the State, granting a true autonomy, within a new federation, in the sectors of economy, taxes and culture. As the spokesman of the Coordination Committee of UDI and MAIB, I can assure you that this will take place." Fearing a social explosion
- The UDI is a political party with desire to govern and with a governmental project and governmental program. We are not in the opposition just to be oppositional. We are making opposition to assume power and to form a Government that would govern for everybody. We are preparing for a transition towards a democratisation of the country. We are preparing for a democratic, social and just State, which will have the promotion, respect and defence of human rights as its main mainstays. - But to reach these goals, we wanted to know, "are you considering the possibility of taking up arms or of supporting fractions that would be willing to take up arms?" Oyono again shakes his head. "The UDI as an organisation is against the use of violence to reach political goals. Further, I want to make you aware of our fear of a social explosion in the country, brought up by the climate of permanent provocations and instigations of the dictatorial regime against the population, and the misery in which it has put them." Oyono gives the impression of a man who wouldn't be able to sleep at night if it was he who had initiated the fire that would have made his country explode. Thus, we had to ask the political leader a final question. "Do you have the impression that President Obiang thinks that the opposition could represent any threat to his regime?" Teodoro Obiang and his regime is very much aware of and knows perfectly well that they only constitute a very small minority in the country, and that they are not favoured by the majority of the population. Their possible support does not reach 15% of the entire population, and as such, the opposition represents a great threat to the regime. This is where we find the ferocity of the regime, which at the same time demonstrates its weakness," Oyono concludes. afrol.com thanks Daniel Oyono for his openhearted answers. The UDI remains one of the few sources to information about Equatorial Guinea.
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- As far as I can see, Oyono replies, "today's principal opposition parties and movements are, except for the UDI, the UP, CPDS, FDR, MAIB, UDDS and the PP. They are all somewhat present in Equatorial Guinea, although several of their most important leaders are in exile." Oyono himself, leads the UDI from his exile in Germany, where also
many of the party's followers live.
