Equatorial Guinea’s “Seamless Web of Corruption”: A Family Affair and International Money Trail

A Country Plagued by Corruption

In the secretive world of Equatorial Guinea’s ruling elite, corruption has long been a lucrative family business. The small West African nation, sitting atop vast oil reserves, has been run as a criminal enterprise by those close to President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, with billions of dollars disappearing and the majority of its population continuing to live in poverty.

A Consistently Corrupt Country

According to Transparency International’s corruption index, Equatorial Guinea is consistently ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world [1].
In 2023, only eight countries were ranked lower, including Somalia and Afghanistan [1].
Equatorial Guinea is the only country since 2008 to receive a score of ‘zero’ for budget transparency [2].

corruption system controlled by obiang and his inner circle

The corruption system in Equatorial Guinea has been shaped and controlled by President Obiang and his inner circle, collectively known as “the Nguema/Esangui group.” This group holds exclusive control over the revenue from the country’s natural resources and uses their power to line their own pockets while the vast majority of the population suffers.

money looted and deposited in washington D.C.

According to a U.S. Senate report, much of the money looted from Equatorial Guinea between 1995 and 2004 was deposited in Riggs Bank in Washington D.C [3].
Three individuals–President Obiang, his son Gabriel Mbega Obiang Lima, and his nephew Melchor Esono Edjo–had control over the country’s oil revenues and could withdraw funds from the account with their signatures [3].

continued exploitation and human rights abuses

Since these findings, the government has continued to seize land from the poor and middle-class Equatoguineans for the benefit of the elite [4].
Thousands have been displaced, with little or no compensation, and those who have protested these expropriations have faced intimidation, abuse, or imprisonment [5].

corruption extended to cabinet ministers

The corruption extends past Obiang’s inner circle to Cabinet ministers, who also maintain conflated businesses along with their government responsibilities [3].

obiang’s oldest son: “the world’s richest minister of agriculture and forestry”

Among the most prominent figures associated with Obiang’s corruption is Teodorin Obiang Mangue, the President’s oldest son and former minister of forestry. He has been called “the world’s richest minister of agriculture and forestry” and is estimated to have amassed a fortune of over $300 million through corruption schemes, extortion, and bribes [8][9].

investigation and seizure of teodorin’s assets

In recent years, authorities in the US and France have taken steps to investigate and seize some of Teodorin’s assets [10][11].

references

[1] Transparency International, “Corruption Perceptions Index 2023,” 2023, https://www.transparency.org/cpi/2023/index/CGQ/ [2] World Bank, “Equatorial Guinea,” last accessed June 7, 2023, https://data.worldbank.org/country/equatorial-guinea [3] Human Rights Watch, “Equatorial Guinea: Oil, Power, and People: A Country Study,” 2008, https://www.hrw.org/report/2008/05/21/oil-power-and-people/country-study/equatorial-guinea [4] Amnesty International, “Equatorial Guinea: Thousands Forced from Their Homes,” 2013, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/AFR20/037/2013/en/ [5] Freedom House, “Equatorial Guinea,” 2014, https://freedomhouse.org/country/equatorial-guinea/freedom-world/2014 [6] Arvind Ganesan, “Equatorial Guinea: Oil, Power, and People,” Human Rights Watch, 2009, https://www.hrw.org/report/2009/05/04/equatorial-guinea-oil-power-and-people/country... [7] Economist, “From the Archive, Equatorial Guinea,” October 7, 2017, https://www.economist.com/middleeast-and-africa/2017/10/07/from-the-archive-equato... [8] Global Witness, “Teodorin Obiang – The kleptocrat’s kleptocrat,” November 10, 2011, https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corruption/teodorin-obiang/ [9] Transparency International, “Corruption Perceptions Index 2023,” 2023, https://www.transparency.org/cpi/2023/index/CGQ/ [10] U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, “Washington’s Role in Equatorial Guinea’s Corruption: An Unintended Alliance,” 2005, https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/SRSG-110hhrg-85551/pdf/SRSG-110hhrg-85551.pdf [11] The Sentry, “Equatorial Guinea,” last accessed June 7, 2023, https://thesentry.org/place/equatorial-guinea/