I have also spent time writing blog posts for our new weblog. You can read my post about the CNN MultiChoice Journalism Awards in Africa here, and my post about the Media Practitioners Bill up for vote in Botswana here.
I also made a big presentation to the staff on oil in Equatorial Guinea, which sits in the western-central part of Africa. We had a two-hour discussion about the issue.
Equatorial Guinea is a tiny country that was colonized by Spain and has been independent for about 50 years. It's currently ruled by President Obiang, who has been called THE worst dictator on the African continent, even compared to Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, who I'm sure you've heard of. The strange thing about Obiang is that you don't hear about him at all, and you hear about Mugabe's regime all the time. Why is that, you ask? Because that tiny little country has a lot of oil - in fact, it's the third largest oil producer in Africa (after Nigeria and Angola). Despite the fact that there is a per capita GDP of more around $50,000 – which is higher than the United States and is as of 2008 the ninth highest in the world - Equatorial Guinea’s people remain some of the poorest in the world. They live in ruins while Obiang and his family live in palaces and wear gold-encrusted watches and Armoni suits. In fact, some of the family members have muli-million homes right here in America.
Not only do these criminals have homes here, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice invited President Obiang to Washington in 2006 and called him a "good friend" of the United States.
While America is condemning Zimbabwe's Mugabe, we are praising a dictator worse than him. Our foreign policy, which is why we are turning away from Equatorial Guinea. I can't wait for the day when we choose lives over energy. Or the day when we won't have to choose at all.
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1 comment:
That picture freaks me out. Having hidden agendas and alterior motives is BAAAAD. Wish we could end the energy crisis. Thanks for the link and educating me.
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