Email: benlaw@email.arizona.edu

Dr Benjamin N. Lawrance is the former Conable Chair in International Studies at Rochester Institute of Technology and is currently a professor of history at the University of Arizona.He has conducted field research in West Africa since 1997 and published extensively about political and social conditions. He has served as an expert witness in the asylum cases for over 130 West Africans in the US, Europe and Canada which have involved human trafficking, citizenship, statelessness, female genital cutting, gender issues, gender identity, ethnic and religious violence, and witchcraft accusations.

Email: mark@markblaisse.com

Mark Blaisse has worked as a strategy consultant for the government of Equatorial Guinea between 2009 and 2012. The focus was on getting the country around the diplomatic international table in order to end its isolation. Mr. Blaisse is prepared to write objective country of origin reports on behalf of people seeking asylum from Equatorial Guinea. However, he wishes it to be known that his knowledge of Equatorial Guinea arises from a close working relationship with the government and President Teodoro Obiang (despite Mr. Blaisse’s criticism of his policies). He managed, over the protests of Amnesty International and Transparency International, to have both President Obama and Hillary Clinton meet with President Teodoro Obiang. He successfully pressured ExComm to invest in education and technology and, with the assistance of the University of Barcelona, he also set up a School of Journalism in a country that previously had no serious media. He helped – here assisted by Erasmus University of Rotterdam – government officials understand the basics of good governance, and developed plans to open up the country to scientists, sportsmen and tourists in order to enhance its reputation.