Culture
The legacy of the Spanish colonizers is most
evident on the island of Bioko. On the mainland, the
majority culture captures the traditional culture of
fang.
Here is an oral storytelling tradition where ancient
myths and legends, often with medicine men and wise gums
as protagonists, are passed on from one generation to
another. Song and dance are included in most ceremonies
and parties. The songs are usually accompanied by three
or four musicians. Common instruments are drums, wooden
xylophones, sanzas (a kind of bamboo tump piano), harps
and lemons. The prisoners are known for their masks and
sculptures in wood.
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Countryaah:
Latest population statistics of Equatorial Guinea, including religious profiles and major languages spoken as well as population growth rates in next three decades.
Many writers and artists live in exile, mainly in
Spain. In early 2011, one of the best-known Equatorial
Guinean writers, Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel, went on a
national flight in fear of his life, after embarking on
a hunger strike aimed at directing his countrymen and
the outside world to the oppression of the Obiang
regime. His novel Arde el monte de noche from 2009,
which is based on memories from his childhood on the
island of Annabón, is in English translation (By night
the mountain burns). It was nominated in 2015 for a
literary award in the UK.
 2016
June
Presidenton is promoted
June 22
President Obiang promotes his son Teodorín from second vice president to
first vice president.
The regime is trying to protect Teodorín
June 14
The government appeals to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The
Hague to stop the French judicial process against President Teodorín Obiang. He
is accused by French prosecutors of looting his country's treasury for living a
luxury life with private jets and real estate in several of the world's most
expensive areas. The government claims that he enjoys diplomatic immunity and
that the prosecutors therefore violate international agreements.
April
The army shoots the opposition leader's house
April 27
The leader of the opposition party Citizens for Change (CI) says the army
shelled his house a few days before the election and keeps it besieged ever
since. According to the opposition politician, 200 party supporters are in the
house with him. Six activists must have been shot dead by the army attack.
Fifteen CI members are reported to have been arrested in the port city of Bata.
Obiang gets almost all the votes
April 24
President Obiang receives almost 94 percent of the vote in the presidential
election. The Election Commission states that even turnout is almost 94 percent.
The election is carried out under great security precautions and is reported to
go quietly throughout the country.
March
Calling for election boycott
March 23rd
The newly formed opposition alliance FPS calls for a boycott of the
presidential election in April, on the grounds that a free and fair election
cannot be carried out because there is no independent electoral commission or
independent media.
Presidential election in April
the 12th of March
Presidential elections will be held on April 24, official media reports.
President Obiang is up for re-election and is expected to win big. He has ruled
the country since 1979.
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