Eq. Guinea Denies Abduction of Executed Officers

Central Africa  |  09.02.10   By Randy Odaga

Equatorial Guinea denied on Wednesday that it had abducted four former military officers it subsequently convicted of a coup attempt and executed last month, saying they had returned voluntarily to their country.

Amnesty International said last week the four men had been living as refugees in Benin, but were abducted in January and placed in secret detention before trial.

The human rights group said the government of the African oil-producing nation, had executed the men “with chilling speed” directly after a speedy August 21 trial.

It said the trial was unfair and lacked an appeals process.

Equatorial Guinea confirmed the executions on Friday.

Gunmen in motor boats tried to storm the palace of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema in February 2009 but were repelled by the armed forces.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Equatorial Guinea’s U.N. Ambassador Anatolio Ndong Mba referred to reports that the four men had been abducted variously from Benin, Nigeria, or Cameroon.

“Where were they? In Cameroon, in Nigeria, or in Benin?” he asked.

“They came back again to Equatorial Guinea to try to perpetrate other actions. They were captured and judged.”

“The problem is that … our border (is) very, very permeable,” he added.

Ndong defended the lack of an appeal, saying the men were tried by a “military summary court” that did not allow for one.

President Obiang said last week the executions had been carried out swiftly “due to the imminent danger against me, my family, and my government.”

Ndong also quoted a government statement saying the trial was conducted “with full legality and transparency” and said the critics had failed to express concern over the attack on the presidential palace

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