Equatorial Guinea latest African country to abolish death penalty

Reuters | Equatorial Guinea has abolished the death penalty, according to a new criminal code signed by veteran President Teodoro Obiang, adding to a growing list of African countries seeking to extinguish a vestige of colonial rule.

The new penal law, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, is dated August 17 but was officially published over the weekend. It will come into force in 90 days, the document said.

Capital punishment, adopted in some places during colonial rule, remains legal in just over 30 African countries. But more than 20 of those have not carried out executions for at least 10 years, according to data provider Statista.

Sierra Leone’s parliament last year voted unanimously to abolish the death penalty. In the last two years, Malawi and Chad have both ruled it to be unconstitutional.

Globally, about 170 countries have abolished or introduced moratoria against the death penalty, according to the United Nations.

Equatorial Guinea’s new law bolsters “the global trend towards universal abolition” and contributes “to the enhancement and development of human rights,” acting U.N. High Commissioner for human rights Nada Al-Nashif said in a statement.