[Reposted from Kari Barber of the Christian Science Monitor]

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo – who made world headlines today with his decision to pardon British mercenary Simon Mann on humanitarian grounds – is expected on Nov. 29 to win another election and a fresh mandate to lead sub-Saharan Africa’s third-largest oil producer, which he has ruled since a 1979 coup. But Equatorial Guinea is consistently ranked near the top of the list of the most corrupt countries on the world’s most corrupt continent. And rights advocates continue to heap fierce criticism on President Obiang for his government’s alleged human rights abuses and draconian limits on free speech.

Now eyes across Africa are turning to President Obama, who has pledged to do more to hold the continent’s leaders to account. US policy toward the often-overlooked nation could be a test case. But so far, there has been little indication as to how the new administration will shape its foreign policy toward Africa and the State Department refused to comment for this report. Experts say that’s because there won’t likely be much in the way of tangible change, at least not in places where significant US business or energy interests are at stake.

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