Francisco Macías Nguema

Francisco Macías Nguema (1 January 1924 - 29 September 1979) wis the first Preses o Equatorial Guinea, frae 1968 till his owerthrow in 1979.

Rise tae Pouer

He rose tae the position o mayor o Mongomo unner the Spainyie colonial government, an later served as a member o the territorial parliament. He wis electit president in twa roonds afore independence in 1968. Durin his presidency, his kintra wis nicknamed "the Dachau o Africae," an became notorious for politeecal executions an virulent anti-Spainyie radio speeches. The kintra's pre-independence prime meenister, Bonifacio Ondó Edu, wis starved an executit in prison shortly efter Macías came tae pouer. Ither offeecials, includin a umwhile vice preses, "committit suicide" while in detention.

Macías Nguema's violations o human richts durin his reign caused mair than a third o Equatorial Guinea's population tae flee tae ither kintras. Three important pillars o his rule wur the Unitit Naitional Wirkers' Pairty (PUNT which he formed tae replace the pre-independence pairties), the Juventud en Marcha con Macías militia/yuth group, an the Esangui clan o Río Muni. The kintra's instruments o repression (military, presidential bodyguard) wur entirely controlled bi Macías Nguema's relatives an clan members. The preses' paranoid actions includit bannin uise o the wird "intellectual" an destroyin boats (fishing wis banned). He "Africanized" his name tae Masie Nguema Biyogo Ñegue Ndong in 1976 efter demandin that the rest o the Equatoguinean population dae the same.

Macías Nguema haed an extreme cult o personality, perhaps fueled bi his consumption o copious amoonts o bhang an iboga, and assigned himself titles such as the "Unique Miracle" and "Grand Master of Education, Science, and Culture." The island o Fernando Pó haed its name 'africanized' efter him tae Masie Ngueme Biyogo Island; on his owerthrow in 1979 it wis named Bioko.

Expansion o Pouer

On 7 Mey 1971, Macías Nguema issued Decree 415, which repealed pairts o the 1968 Constitution an grantit him "aw direct pouers o Government an Institutions", includin pouers ance held bi the legislative an judiciary branches, as well as the cabinet o meenisters. On October 18, 1971, Law 1 wis issued which imposed the daith penalty as punishment for threatenin the Preses or the government. Insultin or offendin the Preses or his cabinet wis punishable bi 30 years in prison. On 14 Julie 1972, he declared himself Preses for Life wi Constitutional Decree 1. He completely repealed the 1968 Constitution on 29 Julie 1973, institutin a new Constitution that gave Macías Nguema an his pairty absolute pouer. Macías Nguema declared private education subversive, an banned it entirely wi Decree 6 on 18 Mairch 1975. Durin Macías Nguema's regime, the kintra haed neither a development plan nor an accoontin seestem for public funds. Ance Nguema haed killed the governor o the Central Bank, he carried awthing that remained in the naitional treasury tae his hoose in a village. Durin Christmas o 1975 he ordered execution o aboot 150 o his opponents. Soldiers executit them bi shootin at the fitbaa stadium in Malabo, while amplifiers wur playin Mary Hopkin's "Those Were the Days".

Coup

On 3 August 1979 he wis owerthrown bi Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who wis previously the military governor o Bioko an Vice-Meenister o the Airmed Forces. Macías Nguema an a contingent o loyal forces initially resistit the coup, but his forces eventually abandoned him, an he wis captured in a forest on August 18.

Trial an execution

The Supreme Military Cooncil opened Case 1/979 on 18 August 1979, an began interviewin witnesses an collectin evidence against the Macías Nguema regime. The Cooncil subsequently convened a military tribunal on 24 September tae try Macías Nguema an several members o his regime. The charges for the ten defendants included genocide, mass murther, embezzlement o public funds, violations o human richts, an treason.

The state prosecutor requestit that Macías Nguema receive the daith penalty, five ithers tae receive thirtie years in prison, an fower ithers tae receive a year in prison. Macías Nguema's defense council countered that the ither co-defendants wur responsible for specific crimes, an asked for acquittal. Macías Nguema hissel delivered a statement tae the court ootlinin wha he viewed as the extensive guid deeds he haed performed for the kintra. At noon on 29 September 1979, the Tribunal delivered its sentences, which wur mair severe than wha the prosecution haed requestit. Macías Nguema an sax o his co-defendants wur sentenced tae daith an the confiscation o their property; Nguema being sentenced tae daith '101 times'. Twa defendants wur sentenced tae fowerteen years in prison, an twa ithers tae fower years.

Wi nae heicher court available tae hear appeals, the decision o the Special Military Tribunal wis final. Macías Nguema an the sax ither defendants sentenced tae death wur executit bi a Moroccan firin squad at Black Beach Prison at 6pm on the same day.

Today, Macías Nguema is regardit as ane o the maist kleptocratic, corrupt an dictatorial leaders in post-colonial African history. He haes been compared tae Pol Pot acause o the violent, unpredictable, an anti-intellectual nature o baith regimes.