Sunday, April 19, 2009
Chantal Biya with Laura Bush
On Monday, the first ladies of fifteen African nations will gather in Beverly Hills for The African First Ladies Summit and Gala— a two-day meeting (April 20-21) that will focus on combating HIV/AIDs and will also address women’s issues. They will be joined by such celebrities as Sharon Stone, Danny Glover and Maria Shriver. Some have questioned why the U.S. first lady, Michelle Obama, will not be joining her African counterparts. However, a careful look at the guest list reveals that some of the attendees are married to some of Africa’s most notorious dictators.
To begin with, the founder of one of organizers, the African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering, is Chantal Biya of Cameroon. Her husband, Paul Biya, has ruled over his West African nation for 26 years. According to the U.S. State Department, Biya can rule by decree and his government’s human rights record is “poor.” Also in attendance will be Constancia Mangue de Obiang, whose husband, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, seized power in the small oil-rich nation of Equatorial Guinea in 1979 by overthrowing (and executing) his uncle. The Obiangs are no strangers to Hollywood. One of their sons, Teodorin, bought a $5.8 million estate in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles in 2001 and started his own rap music company. In 2006, he paid $35 million for a 16-acre compound in Malibu
And then there’s the story of the first lady of Swaziland. The press release for the The First Ladies Summit and Gala states that she will be joining the celebrities in Beverly Hills. But the dictator of Swaziland, King Mswati III, has at least 13 wives, and usually adds a new one each year. It is not clear which of the Swazi first ladies will be attending the summit.
-David Wallechinsky, Melanie Young
16 First Ladies Gather, but not Michelle Obama (by Paul Bedord, (U.S. News & World Report)
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