To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of disputes in Equatorial Guinea in relation to the timing of presidential elections in that country; and whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in that country on (a) the (i) freedom, (ii) fairness and (iii) peacefulness of elections and (b) the protection of human rights during elections.

It is for the people of Equatorial Guinea to choose their government through free and fair elections. We have stressed the importance of independent election monitoring for credible and inclusive elections in our engagement with the government and the importance of Equatorial Guinea meeting its international and domestic obligations. The UK Government set out our concerns and recommendations in our public response to the most recent Universal Period Review. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/universal-periodic-review-33-equatorial-guinea