US EditionPope’s visit to Equatorial Guinea is a diplomatic challenge as he closes his Africa trip
The pontiff plans to denounce corruption and inequality as he meets President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and visits a prison and blast memorial.
- Pope Leo XIV arrived in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday to meet President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, marking the final stop of his African journey.
- Obiang has ruled the former Spanish colony since 1979, facing persistent accusations of authoritarianism and corruption; rights groups claim oil revenues enrich the ruling family rather than the broader population.
- With about 75% of the population Catholic, more than half of nearly 2 million citizens live in poverty while oil accounts for more than 90% of exports.
- Leo declared, "the chains of corruption which disfigure authority and strip it of its credibility must be broken," and will pray Thursday at a Bata memorial for more than 100 victims of a 2021 barracks blast.
- Transparency International's Samuel Kaninda suggested the visit offers an opportunity to "shed more light on a lot more that is happening there," potentially drawing attention to systemic shortcomings in the nation.
71 Articles
71 Articles
Herald Bulletin
Pope blasts colonization of minerals in Equatorial Guinea, headed by Africa's longest-serving leader
Pope Leo XIV has denounced the “colonization” of minerals and the “lust for power” in Equatorial Guinea. He arrived on Tuesday at the end of his four-nation African trip. It's a country whose repressive leader has been in office since…
Griffin Daily News
Pope visits Equatorial Guinea on last stop of Africa tour
Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday arrived in Equatorial Guinea for the final leg of his African tour, where his increasingly vocal defences of human rights will be closely watched in one of the most closed-off states on the continent.
Pope heads to Equatorial Guinea after denouncing authoritarians
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT, April 21 - Pope Leo sets off on Tuesday for Equatorial Guinea, led by the world's longest-serving president, on the final leg of a four-nation Africa tour during which the pontiff has issued sharp denunciations of despotism and inequality. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Leon XIV left Angola on Tuesday 21 April in the morning to reach Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea and the final stage of his trip to the African continent. During this three-day visit to this country strongly marked by the Catholic faith, the pontiff must meet the political and religious authorities but also the world of culture, visit a psychiatric hospital or even a school named after his predecessor, Francis, who died just a year ago.
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