National conference on reforming the justice system

The government of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema has announced that it will hold a national conference this week on the state of Equatorial Guinea's justice system. The idea is to use recommendations from the meeting to help improve the justice system and strengthen the rule oflaw, the French news agency, AFP, reported the government as saying. Participants in the conference, to be held from Thursday to Saturday in the capital, Malabo, are to include judges, lawyers, other legalexperts and representatives of civil society. The judiciary in Equatorial Guinea has often come under international scrutiny, including earlier this year when 68 opposition activists were sentenced to between six and 20 years in jail for allegedly plotting to overthrow Obiang Nguema. That trial, in which 76 other accused were acquitted, was heavily criticised by human rights organisations, the opposition and Spanish officials. Equatorial Guinea, a former Spanish colony of 500,000 people, is north of Gabon and south of Cameroon. Its authorities have repeatedly been accused of violating human rights.