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Some who fled abuses in Equatorial Guinea fear pope’s visit might legitimize longtime ruler
Exiles say the visit could help Obiang project legitimacy as Amnesty International cites widespread arbitrary arrests and torture in the country.
- Pope Leo XIV arrived in Equatorial Guinea on the final leg of his four-nation Africa tour, following visits to Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola. The country is officially secular but maintains deep ties to the Catholic Church, which serves about 75% of the population.
- President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled since 1982, utilizing high-profile events like the Africa Cup in 2012 and 2015 to seek international legitimacy. The Catholic Church remains central to the nation's political and social systems, serving nearly 1.9 million people.
- Exiles like 59-year-old Bae Tongala claim Obiang seeks to use the papal visit to "clean up his image" amid allegations of repression. Amnesty International's 2024 report documented "widespread use of arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment" in the country.
- On Tuesday, Rev. Fortunatus Nwachukwu of the Vatican's missionary evangelization office told The Associated Press that the Catholic Church remains present in difficult civil spaces. The church aims to continue preaching justice and defending human dignity.
- During his visit, Leo denounced the "colonization" of Africa's minerals and the "lust for power," while urging the nation to "work for justice and to close the gap" between the privileged and the disadvantaged.
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Associated Press News+13 Reposted by 13 other sources
Some who fled abuses in Equatorial Guinea fear pope’s visit might legitimize longtime ruler
People who have fled abuses in Equatorial Guinea and are taking refuge elsewhere fear that the pope's visit to the Central African country could launder the image of Africa's longest-serving ruler.
·United States
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Total News Sources15
Leaning Left8Leaning Right2Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Left
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources lean Left
67% Left
L 67%
C 17%
R 16%
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