South Africa Protests Detention of Nationals in Equatorial Guinea
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) of South Africa has formally addressed the Equatorial Guinea government regarding the recent detention of two South African nationals, engineers Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham. Both individuals have been incarcerated under circumstances that their families allege involve erroneous drug-related charges, purportedly enacted as retaliation for legal actions taken in South Africa against the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea.
On Monday, DIRCO reported that the South African ambassador had been in contact with officials in Equatorial Guinea’s foreign affairs ministry to voice the country’s discontent regarding this situation. In a related development, the families of Potgieter and Huxham presented their case at Parliament last week, imploring government officials to assist in securing the release of their loved ones.
The two engineers were detained in February of the previous year, just one day prior to their scheduled return to South Africa after completing a work assignment. Both men were employed as expatriates on offshore vessels operated by a Dutch oil company. According to Crispin Phiri, spokesperson for International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola, South African diplomats have diligently raised this issue with their counterparts over the past week.
The ambassador of Equatorial Guinea has assured South African officials that he will relay these critical concerns to his government. The ongoing efforts by DIRCO highlight South Africa’s commitment to ensuring the welfare of its citizens abroad and addressing grievances that stem from perceived injustices in foreign jurisdictions.
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