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afrol News, 24 May - Press freedom has been slowly reduced into non-existence in Equatorial Guinea, according to the French media watchdogs Reporters sans Frontičres (RSF). Freedom of expression in general seems done away with. Equatoguinean political humour is referred to private rooms or to the many nationals living in exile. A popular joke about the General Director of Presidential Security, Julián Ondó Nkumu, however says it all: Ondó Nkumu asks a passer-by on the street "How do you assess the political situation in the country?" The passer-by: "I think that ...". Ondó Nkumu: "That's enough! You are arrested!" Freedom of expression and of the press has been systematically undermined in Equatorial Guinea for over thirty years. Robert Ménard of RSF yesterday stated his serious concerns about the situation in the country. "Your country is one of the most repressive in Africa when it comes to press freedom," he wrote in a letter to Equatoguinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema. - The independent press is close to inexistent, Ménard wrote, and "the only association of journalists is constantly threatened." Also the access to Internet was being more and more limited and foreign journalists were subjected to new and very restrictive regulations, he added. According to the latest information gathered by the French group, "the situation of press freedom has degenerated constantly in Equatorial Guinea." On Wednesday, another step was made as the Vice-Minister of Information, Alfonso Nsue Mokuy, announced his intention of obliging correspondents of the foreign press to solicit an official accreditation, handled by the Ministry. This temporal accreditation would be obligatory and "renewable", according to RSF. Earlier this month, government authorities prohibited activities planned by the Association of the Press of Equatorial Guinea (ASOPGE) in relation with the International Day of Press Freedom (3 May). ASOPGE was to organise exhibitions, conferences and other activities. Some days after this incident, Vice-Minister Mokuy asked the government for a total ban of ASOPGE. The Vice-Minister accused the association of operating as a "parallel government" and of not organising all its activities in cooperation with the Ministry. Finally, RSF reports that many journalists and political and organisational workers complain over the growing difficulties they find when trying to access Internet. According to them, the illegal monitoring of telephone calls is increasing and electronic mail is being widely controlled by the only Internet Service Provider in the country. It was becoming more frequent not being able to access the Web and during political unrest any electronic communication was made impossible. This "evident degeneration" of the freedom of expression comes at the same time as a crackdown of the political opposition in Malabo, the capital. The political process against prominent opposition figures - accused of having planned a military coup d'état aiming at the removal of the President - is to begin within short. RSF in its letter to President Obiang asked the Head of State to make a public statement in favour of more freedom of expression in his country. He should assure the possibility for all Equatoguinean journalists to work within total freedom and security, Ménard challenged the President. Sources: Based on RSF, Renage and afrol archives
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