Equatorial Guinea reappoints Prime Minister Asue after government resignation

DAKAR (Reuters) - Francisco Asue was reappointed as prime minister of Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday, the government said, after he and the government resigned last week after criticism from long-standing President Teodoro Obiang.

The Central African oil producer is suffering a double economic shock linked to the coronavirus pandemic and a drop in the price of crude, which provides around three-quarters of state revenues.

Last Friday, Asue and his government tendered their resignation to Obiang, who said they had not done enough to help the country at a time of crisis. [nL8N2FH0CX]

At his swearing-in ceremony, Asue said he would form a new government that would fight impunity, the authorities said in an online statement.

Obiang, 78, has ruled the former Spanish colony since overthrowing his uncle in a 1979 coup, relying on repression of political opponents and the country's offshore oil riches.

This is Asue's third consecutive stint as premier since his first appointment in 2016.

The country's economy has struggled to recover from a recession caused by a 2014 slump in oil prices and is expected to contract by a further 5.5% in 2020, according to International Monetary Fund figures.

(Reporting by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Giles Elgood)

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