Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo was named head of the African Union on Sunday.
Obiang came to power 32 years ago when he seized power in a coup.
Obiang’s appointment as president of the 53-nation African block has drawn strong protest from rights organizations.
According to a Human Rights Watch report published last week, the country has been “mired in corruption, poverty, and repression” under Obiang’s leadership.
The rights group reports that vast oil reserves in the country fund the lavish lifestyles of the president and the elite surrounding him, while most people in the country live in abject poverty.
“President Obiang’s record is anti-ethical to the African Union’s mission and values,” Reed Brody, Human Rights Watch spokesman told Reuters.
The presidency of the African Union rotates between African states annually.
Obiang came to power 32 years ago when he seized power in a coup.
Obiang’s appointment as president of the 53-nation African block has drawn strong protest from rights organizations.
According to a Human Rights Watch report published last week, the country has been “mired in corruption, poverty, and repression” under Obiang’s leadership.
The rights group reports that vast oil reserves in the country fund the lavish lifestyles of the president and the elite surrounding him, while most people in the country live in abject poverty.
“President Obiang’s record is anti-ethical to the African Union’s mission and values,” Reed Brody, Human Rights Watch spokesman told Reuters.
The presidency of the African Union rotates between African states annually.
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