MALABO, Equatorial Guinea (AFP) — Equatorial Guinea officially changed its capital city from Malabo to Ciudad de la Paz, in Djibloho province, via a presidential decree on Saturday.

The central African country’s plan to assign Ciudad de la Paz (meaning “city of peace” in Spanish) as the capital has been in the works since 2008 under President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

The previous capital Malabo is located on Bioko island, separate to Equatorial Guinea’s mainland.

Mbasogo, in power for 47 years, said the decision to move the capital to the heart of the equatorial forest on the mainland was for strategic reasons.

“Ciudad de la Paz, in the province of Djibloho, is declared the capital of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea,” the first article of the decree stated.

Inside the country, the new capital was also known as Djibloho, taking the provincial name, and as Oyala.

Presidential services, state powers, constitutional bodies, government agencies and public enterprises will take the necessary measures to transfer to the new capital within one year, according to the decree.

But the official document did not specify whether embassies will also relocate.

The leader of Africa’s only Spanish-speaking nation justified the move with Ciudad de la Paz’s geographic location, calling it “the ideal option to host the capital.”

Another motivating factor was the rapid urban growth of Malabo and economic capital Bata in recent years, which was due to migration from rural areas and small towns toward both cities, the decree stated.

“This measure will contribute to maintaining peace, modernising public administration, diversifying development areas and strengthening national unity,” it said.