Annobón has been a member of the UNPO since 2024. 

The people of the island of Annobón are unique because of their distinct Afro-Portuguese Creole culture, shaped by centuries of isolation and a blending of African and Portuguese influences. This cultural identity is expressed through their unique language, Fá d’Ambô, traditional music, dance, and religious practices that combine Catholicism with indigenous beliefs. Historically, the people of Annobón have maintained a distinct identity from the mainland of Equatorial Guinea, where they are often marginalized. Despite their unique culture, the Annobonese face significant exclusion from political and economic decision-making, with their remote island often neglected in terms of infrastructure, development, and representation, leading to ongoing struggles for recognition and equitable treatment within the nation.

The UNPO secretariat works for the rights of the people of Annobon as a whole and might work with different civil society organizations, groups and representatives from the Annabonese community. However, the main organization representing the rights of the people of Annobon within the UNPO membership and with voting rights at the General Assembly is the (Ambô legado – Republique of Annobón). You can read more about the Ambô legado – Republique of Annobón here. 

The Annobonese people, also known as Ambô or Êmbô people, were the minority ethnicity in Equatorial Guinea before its Unilateral Declaration of Independence on July 8, 2022, and the majority in their ancestral territory, the Island of Annobón. The island of Annobón, the farthest one among the islands in the Gulf of Guinea on the African continent. Situated close to the equator, approximately 180 km south of São Tomé and Príncipe, and about 335 km off the coast of Gabon.

Annobón is an island territory with its Ambô people, culture, language, and unique traditions, living virtually detached from the context of Equatorial Guinea. Historically, it had its governance structure until the arrival of the Spanish in 1905 (Caldeira, 2009), when the people of Annobón lost sovereignty and were subjected to Spanish colonial domination. In 1968, Spain, without consultation or consideration, subjected Annobón to the jurisdiction of Equatorial Guinea, granting independence to the latter.

The people of Annobón live under domination in a state practicing a fierce dictatorship as a political system and state terrorism as a method of persecution and criminal aggression that has terrorized the entire country. The Annobonese people are systematically marginalized, discriminated against, and kept away from any semblance of progress. It is a people that have not achieved self-governance, with Annobón being governed 100% by individuals from the Fang ethnic group, natives of other territories in the interior of Rio Muni.

Annobonese people live abandoned and blocked from all types of economic activity, lacking essential services (electricity, clean water, healthcare, education, food, and sanitation) and basic necessities. The lack of sanitation infrastructure forces the practice of open defecation on beaches and in forests, leading to many diseases. The Republic of Annobón has faced severe human rights violations such as unlawful killings and torture, forced displacement, toxic waste dumping in the island, arbitrary arrests and political suppression and the interference with Freedom of Assembly and Movement.

On March 31, 2021, The Republic of Annobon requested autonomy from the State and the government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, receiving no response. After several attempts to claim their autonomy and facing silence as a response, the government escalated aggression against the Annobonese people, prompting us to unilaterally declare independence on July 8, 2022.

Since then, The Republic of Annobon have been working towards the recognition of their Unilateral Declaration of Independence (DUI-A) to free themselves from the shackles of Equatorial Guinea and establish their self-governance to live in peace on their island.

Wikipedia