Document - GUINÉE ÉQUATORIALE. Craintes d'expulsions forcées / Craintes de recours excessif à la force. Plus de 360 familles

PUBLIC AI Index: AFR 24/017/2006

11 December 2006

Further Information on UA 304/06 (AFR 24/ 012/2006, 14 November 2006) Fear of forced evictions/fear of use of excessive force

EQUATORIAL GUINEA Over 360 families

Over one hundred families of the over 360 at risk have been evicted from their homes in several neighbourhoods in Malabo, the capital. To date, none of the families have been given adequate notice of the eviction, and the authorities have not consulted the affected communities. The communities have not been offered adequate alternative accommodation or compensation, and they have not been given the opportunity to contest the evictions in court.

Between 13 and 17 November the approximately 115 families resident in the Ministerio de Obras Públicas neighbourhood vacated their homes, which were then demolished, apparently to build a car park for aCasino locatedon the opposite side of the road. The demolition of their homes was reportedly completed by 22 November 2006. Some of the families have not yet found a place to live, nor have they received any form of compensation.

On 3 December 2006, at least five houses were demolished along the Atepa road between the Universidad Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial and Malabo city centre, apparently to widen the road. Residents received an official order to vacate their homes in 15 days, although they only received the order two days before the demolitions. A few days earlier, an unknown number of families were also evicted from their homes in La Paz neighbourhood, in the former barracks of the national police. None of these families are known to have been consulted or to have been compensated.

An expropriation decree (No. 109) which concerns La Vigatana, where 250 families are at risk, and surrounding area was approved on 15 November and published in late November. According to the decree, proprietors of land were given 45 days to present their property titles and land concession certificates. Nevertheless, on 5 December at about 10am, several officials from the Infrastructure and Urban Development Ministry (Ministerio de Infraestructura y Urbanismo), including the Minister, Vice-minister, Secretary of State and developers, reportedly went to La Vigatana neighbourhood and demanded to know from the president of the community council why people had not vacated their homes. They then gave the residents until 2 January 2007 to leave. The families have not received any compensation or responses to appeals and petitions sent to several Ministries.

It appears that the authorities have allocated some land in the area of Basupu-Fiston (Fishtown) for all families evicted from their homes in Malabo to move. However the land, some 5 km from Malabo, lacks utility services such as water, electricity and sewage and other amenities.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Spanish or your own language:

- expressing concern about the continuing threat to forcibly evict over 300 families from their homes;

- expressing concern that the authorities forcibly evicted more families in late November and on 3 December from their homes along the Atepa road and area of La Paz neighbourhood and urging the authorities to provide them, as well as those forcibly evicted from the Ministerio de Obras Públicas neighbourhood with adequate alternative accommodation;

- reiterating Amnesty International’s call on the authorities to stop all forced evictions and to put in place safeguards to prevent forced evictions in the future.

APPEALS TO:

Please note that the name of the Minister of Infrastructure and Urban Development has been corrected.

President

General Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo

Presidente de la República

Gabinete del Presidente de la República, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

Fax: +240 09 3313

+240 09 3334

Salutation: Excelencia/Your Excellency

Prime Minister

Sr Don Ricardo Mangue Obama Nfube

Primer Ministro

Gabinete del Primer Ministro

Palacio del Pueblo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

Fax: +240 09 3313

Salutation: Sr Primer Ministro/Dear Prime Minister

Minister of Infrastructure and Urban Develpmentc

Sr Don Fidel Nsué Michá

Ministro de Infraestructura y Desarrollo Urbano

Ministerio de Infraestructura y Desarrollo Urbanao, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

Fax: +240 09 3313

Salutation: Sr Ministro/Dear Minister

Minister of Interior and Local Corporations (councils)

Sr. Don Clemente Engonga Nguema Onguene

Ministro del Interior y Corporaciones Locales

Ministerio del Interior y Corporaciones Locales, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

Fax: +240 09 240 09 2683/2688/ 3406

Salutation: Sr. Ministro/Dear Minister

COPIES TO:

Sr Don Pastor Micha Ondo Bile

Ministro de Asuntos Exteriores, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

Fax: +240 09 3132

+240 09 2320

President of the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission

Sr Don Salomón Nguema Owono

Presidente de la Cámara de Representantes del Pueblo y de la

Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Cámara de Representantes del Pueblo

Cámara de Representantes del Pueblo, Avenida de la Independencia s/n

Apartado 51, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

Fax: + 240 09 3313

and to diplomatic representatives of Equatorial Guinea accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after********