A policy of plunder: the development and normalisation of neo-patrimonialism in Equatorial Guinea

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Equatorial Guinea has, since the mid-1990s, been an oil-rich state. With the highestGDP per capita it should be a continental leader in terms of development. Instead, itranks in one of the worst positions on the United Nations Development Programme's(UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI). This study employs the theory of neopatrimonialismto explain why such a discrepancy in these development indicators isevident.As a result of examining the post-independence regimes in Equatorial Guinea throughthe theoretical lens of neo-patrimonialism it is possible to conclude that the country isafflicted by a governance curse, rather than the more narrowly defined 'resourcecurse' that has become the central explanation of the situation in the country since thediscovery of oil favoured by the existing literature on the subject. Instead, this studyhighlights the fact that the neo-patrimonial nature of the regime in Equatorial Guineahas developed steadily over the years since independence was granted by Spain in1968, and indeed, the seeds of this system were in fact evident during Spanishcolonial control.Whilst the existing literature has focused on the role of oil in explaining the dire statethat Equatorial Guinea finds itself in, this study argues that there are other centralfactors that need to be examined. These include: the Spanish colonial legacy that ledthe way for such a system to take root; the role of the first post-independencepresident, Macías Nguema (1968-1979) and; the regime of Obiang Nguema (1979-present). By looking at these factors in addition to the role of oil it is possible toconclude that the neo-patrimonial system in place in Equatorial Guinea has muchdeeper roots than the existing literature acknowledges. It is vital to examine thesedeeper roots in order to discover an understanding of and effective solution to thecurrent situation. Moreover, through examining the central features and operations ofthe 'predatory' neo-patrimonial regime in Equatorial Guinea, most notably theprofligate spending and evident capital flight, it is possible to acknowledge the international nature of the problem: a factor that has heretofore been neglected in theliterature. A greater focus on this issue is necessary in order to understand why theregime is sustained and what prospects there can be for future regime change.The outcomes of the study suggest that a 'predatory' neo-patrimonial regime is thecentral explanation for how the political sphere operates in Equatorial Guinea. Thismeans that there can be no distinction made between the central features of the stateand the personal property of those that rule it. It is a classic, modern-day example of'L'État c'est moi'. As such, the Nguema family have since independence treated thestate resources as their own private property to do with as they wish. This means thatthere has been no attention paid to the development of Equatorial Guinea as it is not inthe interests of the ruling elites to do so. Instead, they utilise state resources for theirown self-enrichment. Such behaviour accounts for why despite having the highestGDP per capita on the African continent, Equatorial Guinea has such a low rank in theUNDP Human Development Index. It can therefore be concluded that EquatorialGuinea is affected by a governance curse that has decimated the state sinceindependence, rather than the popularised theory of a 'resource curse' which has beenused in explanations since the discovery of oil in the mid-1990s.iii

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University