By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, February 25 -- When the world's #16 dictator, Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo was slated Friday to meet up-and-coming son Ali of the #11 dictator, Omar Bongo and the UN's Ban Ki-moon, the treaty signing photo op was set for 12:45.
But when Inner City Press got there, the UN announced in French, Spanish and English that there had been a delay. The largely African media contingent wanted to ask Ali Bongo about his Libyan friend Gadhafi and his mercenaries; Inner City Press wanted to ask Bongo about the UN playing host to Gabonese opposition figure Mba Obame. (The UN has dodged questions on this for weeks.)
Obiang, meanwhile, had his representatives waiting. Inner City Press spoke with Obiang's lobbying, for today with an Equatorial Guinea Diplomat pass from the UN, Gregory Lagana. After introductions, he told Inner City Press he used to be with the US State Department. This checked out -- assigned for the UN to San Salvador, Quito and Rome. He was also the spokesman for DynCorp, the private military contractor a/ka/ mercenary firm.
Now flush with oil, and head of the African Union, Obiang is trying to rehabilitate his image. He tried to get a prize from UNESCO but this was shot down after opposition. Now he comes to the UN to sign a treaty with his neighbor Gabon, where the opposition figure has had to seek physical protection from the UN.
At Friday's noon briefing, Inner City Press again asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky if Ban would raise to Ali Bongo the crackdown on opposition protests, and the UN's hosting of Mba Obame. I don't want to pre-judge what will happen, Nesirky said, promising a read out later in the day. But with the treaty signing photo op put off, nothing was assured. Watch this site.
