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Nadine Dorries Once you have decided to put British parliamentary delegation from one of the richest states in Africa, Ian Birrell tagging along to see how our members have faced the kleptocracy of President Obiang
is difficult not to be impressed on arrival at the new rich nation of Equatorial Guinea, especially when you are invited to participate as a guest of the president. Not just a short wait in the VIP room, with its white leather sofas and
The Naked Gunplaying on a flat screen TV, before they took their limousine the regular passport control officials worry the environment. Leaving the airport of Malabo to see what it looks almost like an air of modern sculpture waste, one of which has a pointed nose in the air. One wonders if this is a strange sort of coup attempt Wonga famous monument, when the British mercenaries brought to reverse its host in an attempt to get their hands on its oil wealth.
After a disc is several kilometers along the three new tracks. Interestingly, no traffic - it has spent more than five oncoming cars. On either side are planted between the new buildings, lush vegetation impossible. There are offices of oil companies and construction, with dozens of new buildings - again all empty
the time to the conference center, a concrete building built to host a summit of the African Union recently. Next to it is a complex of 52 identical houses, one for each African head of state to attend the week-long event. It has its own helipad, of course. The houses are empty.
"fantastic infrastructure here, is not it, the rest of Africa," enthuses one of my speed as before. It Yallands Adrian, a spokesman for the Alliance for the exuberant old rural world, now speaks of dictatorship in West Africa. He has not visited the country before.
Welcome to Sipopo
. This complex of Orwell, grafted in the capital, Malabo, is against the will of Equatorial Guinea to present to the world. Obiang, the ruler is now the longest in Africa and a man accused of presiding over one of the most corrupt governments, kleptocratic and repressive in the world, has spent more than half a billion pounds of one in his campaign to rename his regime. It's a small change for a man who would be 40 million paperbacks a day in revenue from energy. His small country is the third sub-Saharan African oil producer It's like something out of the The Truman Show , one of the many illusions in a world of artifice. Sipopo cost four times the annual budget for training in what is perhaps the most unequal society in the world, a country where wealth per capita than Britain, but three quarters of its 675,000 people live on less than a dollar a day. Infant mortality rates are among the worst in the world, but the new hospital, a doctor said, patients have most of the time. Ordinary people are excluded from the area. This makes it difficult for customers to take taxis in and out of the city. But I was traveling with the first British parliamentary delegation from Equatorial Guinea, so that cocoon of reality, taken around convoys led police cars honking. It was fun - although judging by the looks of anger and not least for local drivers forced out of the way. It is unlikely to complain, though. Pharmaceuticals was recently arrested by police in a minor accident, said he was beaten "like an animal" The invitation to join the trip came from Greg Wales, a British entrepreneur with a longstanding interest in dark corners of Africa - at least not when it is associated with fellow Brit Simon Mann plot to overthrow Obiang. In a surreal twist, now promotes the regime tried to expel seven years. I asked how cultural representative, given my interest in African music, I saw a unique opportunity to take a look at a notoriously despotic regime former Foreign Secretary, Michael Ancram was scheduled to lead the delegation, Wales said, but was unable to do so. So there were only three backbench conservatives - none of which seems to have done much research in Equatorial Guinea before sinking into their seats in business class flight - as well as two representatives of the culture. The objective was clear: to convince us that it was a good place for business, the arts, and perhaps even tourism riveted rain as we head into our first meeting. The meeting was chaired by Angel Serafin Seriche Dougan, a handsome man who is the president of parliament. Prior to that, was Prime Minister until removed amid allegations of corruption - a feat in Equatorial Guinea. We sat in a row to the right, while the politicians responsible for his country three times a day on the couch to the left. The clocks on the screen have been impressive. "We are here to learn more about Equatorial Guinea and get our impressions," said Nadine Dorries, the former nurse best known for his campaign against abortion, against the group in the absence of Lord Ancram. "We are honored to be the first parliamentary delegation in your country." civil debate ensued on the "vibrant democracy" in Equatorial Guinea. Mr. Dougan, said free elections "as transparent as possible," spoke of the freedom given to opposition parties and explained how they were reforming their constitution along British lines. "We will have two houses, so it is best to serve the people we learn from you that -. You can not go fast enough, but we are good students." He added that the two parliamentary groups share common interests. "Since 1996 we had the oil and tried to develop the country. We try to use resources as transparent as possible to develop the country for the good of the country." laudable goals. If only it were true. Freedom House, the respected U.S. think tank, places in Equatorial Guinea with Burma, North Korea and Somalia in its list of the worst regimes in the world, a ruthless one-party state where elections were stolen , jailed opponents and looted the public treasury, controlling daily life permeates everything and the government is accused of grotesque human rights violations, including torture and extrajudicial executions. Representatives Britain responded to three questions illusory discourse continued, the opposition might raise issues for discussion in Parliament? May apply for the debate? And best of all, if the democratic reform was driven by politicians or people. It comes from Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North and former executive director of the National Society pony. appropriate cream Then Yallands contributed: "One of the mistakes of Equatorial Guinea is that you do not have a functioning democracy, but obviously to do with public financing and operation of political parties one of . Other major misconceptions is more civil liberties and human rights. "
Dougan said he knew he was a great job for your guests to change the views of people in Europe and show that all was not negative in Equatorial Guinea. "It will go as ambassadors of our first," he said with a smile. No wonder - the cameras were rolling and clicking all the time, providing an excellent picture of the state-controlled stations. Official reports have been greeting the arrival of a group of 10 deputies.
Despite the ingenuity of their questions, the deputies began to branch that all was not as it seemed. Dorries said she had noticed one of the women in politics has had a Hermes bag costing around £ 15 000. "What kind of ceasefire has a bag like that? It's the little things you'll notice that the alarm causes. "
The answer was obvious, given the precedent set by the President. Teodoro Obiang Nguema seized power in 1979 of his uncle, a man claiming to be a sorcerer, collected human skulls was a tyrant and a third of the population fled from his criminal empire. Since then, Obiang has created a sudden a State party that revolves around his family. It is leased by state radio as a god in "constant contact with the Almighty" may "decide to kill without anyone to account and without going to hell", what does not, however, stopped him and said to be Catholic and be invited to the Vatican by successive popes.
Few foreigners are very concerned about developments in this haven of Spanish until the discovery of oil. Then, the energy giant moved into the Western family and joined the list of richest in the world. Obiang, blaming foreigners to bring corruption in their country, said that people had to run the national treasure to prevent others from falling into temptation. The extent of his fantastic flight later became clear when the research revealed that the U.S. bank collapsed Obiang controls $ 700 million in deposits alone.
The most famous member of the clan is Teodorin, the favorite son and heir apparent. His official salary as minister of agriculture and forestry is about 5000 pounds per month, but in just three years, he spent more than twice the annual state budget for education in the products of luxury. He was caught buying a £ 234m super yacht earlier this year - and last month had lost a case in Swaziland with 250 thousand pounds in it. "He's an idiot unstable, irresponsible," said one American intelligence official.
No wonder Don Estanislao Malave, Minister of Social Security, he said: "We were very poor .. Then God answered our prayers - we discovered oil "
Like others, we met, he repeats a mantra fueled by his advisers that the world had the wrong impression of Equatorial Guinea. While it is easy to be seduced by the capitals of the collapse of colonial buildings, restaurants, luxury and tropical Gothic cathedral new full of foreigners - even if the streets are much more moderate, more conservative people, in other parts of Africa. "People think when they come here was filmed at the airport," said Malave. "Our mistake was that he did nothing to create a positive image."
The regime spends huge sums on public relations, although this did not prevent criminal investigations in the United States and France. Obiang first attempt to clear his image on the world stage came three years ago with the support of 2 million pounds of the United Nations Award for Science, which has caused such a furore with human rights groups n ' have ever received. He is now president of the African Union and the adoption of what is called using the more subtle approaches.
so our journey - and resulted in a meeting with Obiang promised. So with the sun shining at last, they took on Air Force One in Bata, the second city. A caravan of cars even bigger than us, to airport security agents jump reflector shades and open the doors of the slower cars. Waiting in the hotel, we saw a high consumption of champagne at the bar before you know it must minister to meet Prime Minister Ignacio Milam Tang, first.
Sat TangAfter Tang said he knew how to answer my question about why he thought the country's reputation was so bad, Dorries conferred with Baker and finally raised the issue of repression. "We keep hearing that does not give its image. But this answer does not help us to help, "he said." It is in particular the issue of human rights. "
Tang said that some governments have attempted to impose views that are not appropriate because of cultural differences, adding that they were victims of the stories from the old regime. When the meeting ended, he dropped the bomb: the president was in town, could not join us
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