Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea gained independence from Spain in 1968. Since the military coup in 1979, the country has reportedly experienced human right violations, corruption and other abuses.1
The country is relatively rich in natural resources, which has resulted in armed conflict and arms proliferation, among other things.2 Most weapons entering West Africa illegally are smuggled through Equatorial Guinea. Corruption, piracy and maritime crimes create a favourable environment for the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.3
Following an accidental explosion in 2021, AMAT-GICHD provided ammunition technical support under the UN SaferGuard quick-response mechanism, in cooperation with the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC), as well as the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation.4
1 "Equatorial Guinea: 40 Years of Repression and Rule of Fear Highlights Human Rights Crisis," Amnesty International, August 2, 2019, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2019/08/equatorial-guinea-years-of-repression-and-rule-of-fear.
2 Equatorial Guinea, National Report on the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) (New York: Permanent Mission of Equatorial Guinea to the UN, 2003), https://unoda-poa.s3.amazonaws.com/poa-reports-le/2003%4061%40EquatorialGuinea-engl.pdf.
3 "Equatorial Guinea: Global Organized Crime Index," Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, 2021, https://ocindex.net/country/equatorial_guinea.
4 “Ammunition Management Activity Platform (A-MAP),” GICHD, 2022, https://a-map.gichd.org.
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Further information
Accidental explosions
Since the Small Arms Survey began collecting data in 1979, one accidental explosion has been reported in Equatorial Guinea.
Table 1. Accidental explosions in Equatorial Guinea (1979–2021)
Year | Location | Owner/manager | Deaths | Injuries |
2021 | Bata | State (military) | 105 | 600 |
Source: “Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS) Database,” Small Arms Survey, updated December 15, 2021, https://smallarmssurvey.org/database/unplanned-explosions-munitions-sites-uems.
Cases of diversion
Insufficient information on cases of diversion in Equatorial Guinea.
Disposal
Insufficient information on the disposal of ammunition in Equatorial Guinea.
Needs
To further enhance safe and secure ammunition management, the following needs have been identified for Equatorial Guinea:
- Recommendations for reducing the risk of accidental explosions;
- Mitigation strategies and the provision of training for personnel to improve the management of weapons and ammunition facilities; and
- Technical assessments and improving the physical security of stockpiles.
Source: "Equatorial Guinea Explosions Highlight Need for Stockpile Management," DefenceWeb News, May 4, 2022, https://www.defenceweb.co.za/land/land-land/equatorial-guinea-explosions-highlight-need-for-stockpile-management.
