The Socialist International Africa Committee, meeting in Yaoundé on 30 June and 1 July 2000,
notes with great concern the regression in the process of democratisation in Equatorial Guinea which has in effect led to the re-establishment of a one-party system in the country;
expresses its concern over the persistent corruption and the generalised misery in the country despite the exploitation of enormous natural resources - namely petroleum, which serves to enrich only those in power and the multinationals - leading to a total marginalisation of the population in general and of the political opposition in particular;
regrets the persistent and flagrant violation of human rights by the authorities, carried out with the greatest impunity.
Consequently, the Committee:
strongly condemns the electoral process during the municipal elections last 28 May, which the ruling regime used to do away with the minimum of representation of the democratic parties in the local institutions, as well as in the parliament which is made up of 99.9% of members of the ruling party, and the dictatorial government of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo;
asks the international community to exercise great vigilance in relation to this government and to re-double political and economic pressure in order to re-start the democratisation process and to stop the counter-productive and conflictive exploitation of the national petroleum resources;
expresses its solidarity with all the democrats of Equatorial Guinea, and in particular to the Convergence for Social Democracy, CPDS, which struggles in the most precarious conditions for the establishment of democracy and social justice in the country.