On the second
day of the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation
Summit, Agapito Mba Mokuy, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and
Agustin Nze Nfumu, Minister of Information, Press and Radio discussed the past,
present and future of Equatorial
Guinea in an open forum titled “De-mystifying Equatorial Guinea.”
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Former President of Ghana at IX Sullivan Summit |
“Equatorial
Guinea is committed to move forward. We have heavily invested in
infrastructure, education, health care, and human capital, among other things.
This year UNESCO reported a 93%
literacy rate in Equatorial Guinea, the best in the region. We have La Paz
Hospital, a state-of-the-art facility,” said Minister Mba Mokuy.
He also disputed
charges of lack of political freedom in the country, saying, “Our country has
political freedom. We count with 13 political parties, many of which are in the
government.”
The Foreign
Minister highlighted the country’s increased growing international involvement.
Fifteen years ago, he said no one knew where Equatorial Guinea was; he said now
everyone knows. He said the people support President Obiang Nguema
Mbasogo because he brought them out of misery.
“Equatorial
Guinea is setting an example for Africa on how to effectively use oil resources
to move forward,” said, Minister Nze Nfumu, adding, “After our independence [in
1968], we had three professionals in the country; today we have a national
university that graduates hundreds of students every year.”
Both ministers
stressed that Equatorial Guinea is open to the media. They invited guests to
come to the country and see with their own eyes what the country has to offer.
The Horizon
2020 development plan is President Obiang’s vision to prepare the country
for the decline of oil production and strengthen the physical, intellectual,
and institutional infrastructure for a diverse economy.
Today’s agenda
was focused on Africa’s intensified efforts to develop its human capital.
Discussions at the plenary session dealt with innovative approaches to
African-led partnerships in relation to peacekeeping, post-conflict
reconciliation and the protection of citizens for socio-economic growth. The
second day also focused on increasing youth involvement, investing in higher
education, and leadership-training programs for building effective sustainable
education programs.
