Financial Crime World

Equatorial Guinea: Challenges in Combating Corruption, Organized Crime, and Human Trafficking

Key Findings and Concerns

The report on Equatorial Guinea highlights several areas of concern regarding the country’s efforts to combat corruption, organized crime, and human trafficking. The following key findings and concerns have been identified:

Enforcement Gaps

  • Lack of enforcement: Laws related to anti-corruption and organized crime are not adequately enforced.
  • Judicial system limitations: The judicial system is not independent, and there are no specialized units to counter organized crime.

Prison Conditions and Law Enforcement Presence

  • Prison conditions: Prisons in the country are reportedly overcrowded and have poor sanitation, denial of medical care, visits, and food, as well as physical abuse.
  • Limited law enforcement presence: Law enforcement has a limited presence in major cities and rural areas, often engaging in extortion.

Human Rights Abuses and Anti-Money Laundering Efforts

  • National security forces accused of human rights abuses: National security forces have been accused of torture and other violent acts during interrogations with impunity.
  • Weak anti-money laundering laws: The implementation and enforcement of anti-money laundering laws are weak, with officials investigated by foreign authorities for money laundering and corruption.

Business Environment and Foreign Assistance

  • Difficulty in conducting business: Equatorial Guinea is one of the worst countries to conduct business in due to pervasive corruption, risks of extortion, and onerous bureaucratic procedures.
  • Limited foreign assistance: Foreign assistance programs from the World Bank and IMF have been cut since 1993 due to corruption and mismanagement.

Coordination with NGOs

  • Lack of coordination with NGOs: Despite funding more anti-trafficking measures, identification and referrals to protective services remain low. There are also no witness protection mechanisms in Equatorial Guinea.

Government Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking

The government has conducted awareness campaigns through radio and television and trained security forces to combat human trafficking. However, the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions resulted in the postponement of some planned training events.