Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea

EQUATORIAL GUINEA TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY – BUT DEMOCRATICALLY

April 19, 2019:

The last time Equatorial Guinea applied the death sentence was in 2014 but President Obiang Nguema has given a strong hint that the judicial measure will soon be abolished.
The abolition is premised not on the years of advocacy by human rights groups but from pressure by a political bloc that the country belongs to, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, CPLP.
President Nguema’s assurance on the decision to abolish was during a visit to Cape Verde where he said the abolition of death sentence was all but done but he only wanted the process to be democratic.
“So my government will soon put this question to parliament, where my party has a majority. I am sure that this proposal will be approved,” he is quoted as saying.
The country has been a member of the CPLP since five years ago. As part of reforms they were tasked with on joining, the need to abolish the death penalty was listed.