Editing History of Equatorial Guinea (section)

==Obiang government (1979–present)==
{{see also|2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt}}
[[File:Teodoro Obiang detail, 1650FRP051.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo|Teodoro Obiang]], leader of Equatorial Guinea since 1979.]] 

Although President Obiang signed a national anti-torture decree in 2006 to ban all forms of abuse and improper treatment in Equatorial Guinea and commissioned the renovation and modernization of Black Beach prison in 2007 to ensure the humane treatment of prisoners,<ref>[http://www.mpri.com/esite/index.php/content/services/organizational_reform_amp_institutional_capacity_building/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802044807/http://www.mpri.com/esite/index.php/content/services/organizational_reform_amp_institutional_capacity_building/|date=2009-08-02}} MPRI</ref> human rights abuses continue. [[Human Rights Watch]], [[Amnesty International]] and other non-governmental organizations have documented severe human rights abuses in prisons, including torture, beatings, unexplained deaths and illegal detention.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/region/equatorial-guinea/report-2009
|title=Country Profile|publisher= Amnesty International
|access-date=12 August 2015
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite book
|chapter-url=https://www.hrw.org/en/world-report-2009/equatorial-guinea
|title=Equatorial Guinea – Human Rights Watch
|chapter=Equatorial Guinea: Events of 2009
|date=20 January 2010
|access-date=12 August 2015
}}
</ref>

According to a March 2004 [[BBC]] profile,<ref>
{{cite news 
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3516588.stm 
|title=Profile: Equatorial Guinea's great survivor 
|work=BBC News 
|date=2004-03-17 
| first=Nicholas 
| last=Shaxson
}}</ref> politics within the country are dominated by tensions between Obiang's son, Teodorin, and other close relatives with powerful positions in the security forces. The tension may be rooted in power shifts arising from the dramatic increase in oil production which has occurred since 1997.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

The unsuccessful "Wonga Coup" by European and South African mercenaries in 2004 attempted to replace Obiang with a puppet ruler who would open the country's mineral wealth to the plotters{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}}. [[Simon Mann]], a former officer in the [[Special Air Service|SAS]], led the plot, which also included former members of the South African Army [[South African 32 Battalion|32 Battalion]]. Financial backers included Sir [[Mark Thatcher]], son of former [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Margaret Thatcher]] and possibly the novelist [[Jeffrey Archer]]. Somewhere between $3&nbsp;million and $20&nbsp;million was expended on the failed coup, which has been claimed by some to have had the tacit support of some Western governments and international corporations.<ref>
[https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/13/books/review/Elkins.t.html?pagewanted=print]
"Dogs of War: How a group of mercenaries tried to overthrow an African government", 
Caroline Elkins,
''New York Times Book Review'', Sunday, August 13, 2006,  p. 19, a review of ''The Wonga Coup: Guns, Thugs and a Ruthless Determination to Create mayhem in an Oil-Rich Corner of Africa,'' by Adam Roberts, accessed August 12, 2006.</ref>

In 2011, the government announced it was planning a new capital for the country, which was to be named [[Oyala]] but will be Djibloho – Ciudad de la Paz.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.africa21digital.com/noticia.kmf?cod=12634524&canal=404|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112084455/http://www.africa21digital.com/noticia.kmf?cod=12634524&canal=404|url-status=dead|title=Empresas portuguesas planeiam nova capital da Guiné Equatorial|archive-date=January 12, 2012}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.boasnoticias.pt/noticias_Atelier-luso-desenha-futura-capital-da-Guin%C3%A9-Equatorial_8697.html
 |title       = Boas Notícias – Atelier luso desenha futura capital da Guiné Equatorial
 |author      = The Agency
 |access-date  = 12 August 2015
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20151015221744/http://www.boasnoticias.pt/noticias_Atelier-luso-desenha-futura-capital-da-Guin%C3%A9-Equatorial_8697.html
 |archive-date = 15 October 2015}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.piniweb.com.br/construcao/urbanismo/arquitetos-portugueses-projetam-nova-capital-para-guine-equatorial-240902-1.asp
 |title       = Arquitetos portugueses projetam nova capital para Guiné Equatorial
 |work        = PiniWeb
 |access-date  = 12 August 2015
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20130510212439/http://www.piniweb.com.br/construcao/urbanismo/arquitetos-portugueses-projetam-nova-capital-para-guine-equatorial-240902-1.asp
 |archive-date = 10 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.greensavers.pt/2011/11/04/atelie-portugues-desenha-futura-capital-da-guine-equatorial/
|title=Green Savers – Ateliê português desenha futura capital da Guiné Equatorial
|work=Green Savers
|access-date=12 August 2015
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122153733/http://www.greensavers.pt/2011/11/04/atelie-portugues-desenha-futura-capital-da-guine-equatorial/
|archive-date=22 January 2012
|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On March 7, 2021, there were munitions [[2021 Bata explosions|explosions at a military base]] near the city of Bata that resulted in 98 deaths and 600 people were injured and a/tending in hospital.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bariyo|first=Nicholas|date=2021-03-08|title=Equatorial Guinea Takes Stock After Giant Explosions|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/equatorial-guinea-takes-stock-after-giant-explosions-11615221995|access-date=2021-03-09|issn=0099-9660}}</ref>

In November 2022 Teodoro Obiang was re-elected in [[2022 Equatorial Guinean general election]] with 99.7% of the vote amidst accusations of fraud by the opposition.<ref>[https://elpais.com/internacional/2022-11-21/obiang-obtiene-el-997-de-los-votos-en-las-elecciones-de-guinea-ecuatorial-entre-denuncias-de-fraude-masivo.html Obiang obtiene el 99,7% de los votos en las elecciones de Guinea Ecuatorial entre denuncias de fraude masivo] El País (21/11/2022) (in Spanish)</ref><ref>[https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/internacional/2022/11/21/primeros-resultados-obiang-votos-guinea-ecuatorial-1613752.html Primeros resultados dan a Obiang casi el 100 % de votos en Guinea Ecuatorial] Heraldo (21/11/2022) (in Spanish)</ref>

In 2024 it was published that mercenaries from the Wagner Group (now called “Africa Corps”) had entered in [[Equatorial Guinea]] at the request of [[Teodoro Obiang]].<ref>[https://www.epe.es/es/internacional/20240922/soldados-rusos-wagner-guinea-ecuatorial-obiang-108292512 Soldados rusos de Wagner entran por centenares en Guinea Ecuatorial para proteger a los Obiang] El Periódico de España (22/09/2024) (in Spanish)</ref> According to opponents, the objective of the mercenaries was to help consolidate a hypothetical succession of Obiang's power to his son "[[Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue|Teodorín]]".<ref>[https://www.abc.es/internacional/oposicion-guinea-ecuatorial-pide-onu-intervenga-ante-20241001185900-nt.html La oposición de Guinea Ecuatorial pide a la ONU que intervenga ante la «intromisión» de mercenarios extranjeros en el país] ABC (03/10/2024) (in Spanish)</ref>