Equatorial Guinea Turns 58, Obiang Slams Online Critics
EQUATORIAL GUINEA · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —The country Equatorial Guinea is a small, Spanish-speaking oil and gas producer in Central Africa that won independence from Spain on 12 October 1968.
- —What happened President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo issued a message for the 58th anniversary of Equatorial Guinea independence, dated Sunday 11 October in Malabo.
- —The ‘dark years’ Obiang said the country has left behind for ever the colonial ‘dark years’ when its people’s human rights were not recognised.
- —The warning He told young people to ignore ‘cowardly’ critics on social media, calling them ‘harmful parasites’ who sow doubt.
- —The man in charge Obiang has led the country since a military coup on 3 August 1979, which his government calls the ‘Coup of Freedom’.
- —Still open The message gave no figures, dates or costs for the social security and universal health insurance it says are being rolled out.
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo marked 58 years of Equatorial Guinea independence by hailing the end of colonial ‘dark years’ and attacking online critics. His message, dated Sunday 11 October in Malabo, was published by the government’s press office on the eve of Monday’s anniversary.
For US readers, the address comes from a ruler in power for 47 years, in a gas producer where ConocoPhillips is weighing new projects. A US State Department human rights report released in August 2025 says people there generally avoid criticising the president and his family.
What Obiang Said About the Dark Years
The message was published in full by the Oficina de Información y Prensa, the government’s official information and press office. AhoraEG, a Spanish-language news site covering the country, ran his ‘dark years’ passage as its headline.
Obiang said 12 October should recall ‘the horror that colonialism meant’. He said it obliges citizens to remember ‘that we have left behind for ever those dark years in which our human rights were not recognised’.
He described that era as a time ‘when our people were treated as forced labour, when we were mere beasts of burden’. In his telling, those dark years belong to the colonial era.
Obiang said colonial rule lasted more than 200 years. He added that the country won ‘a firm independence in 1968, without concessions’ to Spain, which he said set it apart from other African nations.
A Warning to Young People and Online Critics
The sharpest passage was aimed at the young. Obiang urged them to be patient and to look to the future, saying ‘this country will be left in your hands’.
He told them not to listen to people ‘who cowardly hide behind social networks’ and do not share their daily hardships. He called such critics ‘harmful parasites that infect your minds with the seed of doubt’.
The US State Department’s 2024 human rights report, released in August 2025, describes the climate for critics. It says individuals generally chose not to criticise the president, his family, senior officials or security forces because of the risk of reprisal.
The same report says most people on social media assumed the government was monitoring their activity. Activists also reported electronic surveillance of their personal email accounts, it adds.
The Record Obiang Put Forward
Obiang said many African states see Equatorial Guinea ‘as a model of development and political self-determination’. He gave no figures to support the claim.
He said the government is implementing social security and universal health insurance. He also pointed to a run of inaugurations in recent days in La Paz, Malabo and the mainland region.
He singled out La Paz, the new capital he proclaimed by decree on Friday 2 January, according to the government. La Paz lies in Djibloho province on the mainland and replaces Malabo, which sits on the island of Bioko.
At the January ceremony, the government cited security, recalling seaborne attacks on banks in Bata and on the presidency in Malabo. It also cited a 2017 coup attempt foiled on the border with Cameroon.
In his anniversary message, Obiang said the new capital brings every region of the country closer to the government.
Who Obiang Is
Obiang, the head of state and of government, took power in a military coup on 3 August 1979. In an August message, he said it ended ‘a regime of dictatorial oppression’ that ruled for 11 years after independence.
He is also the founding president of the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), the governing party. His son, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, is vice president in charge of defence and state security forces.
A background guide to Equatorial Guinea sets out its oil economy, its politics and the move to a new capital.
What It Means for US Readers
US energy companies are the clearest American stake. In September, executives of Houston-based ConocoPhillips met Vice President Nguema Obiang Mangue there, the government said on 20 September.
ConocoPhillips presented a project called the West Belt to explore and develop several oil and gas blocks with GEPetrol, Sonagas and other operators. GEPetrol and Sonagas are the state oil and gas companies.
The government said the project could secure gas for the country’s liquefied natural gas plant for the next two decades. That depends on the deals being concluded.
US major ExxonMobil handed the Zafiro oil field in Block B to GEPetrol on Friday 19 July 2024, the government reported. On 8 October, the government said its ambassador in Washington, Crisantos Obama Ondo, had met new State Department officials.
The address offered investors no sign of political change. Obiang placed the denial of rights in the colonial past and cast online criticism as a threat to the young.
What Is Not Known
Obiang did not name any of the critics he attacked, nor say whether officials will act against them. It is also unclear whether he delivered the message in person or only issued it in writing.
The address gave no timetable, cost or coverage figures for the social security and universal health insurance schemes. It is also unclear which projects were opened in the recent wave of inaugurations he cited.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When did Equatorial Guinea become independent?
Equatorial Guinea became independent from Spain on 12 October 1968. Monday 12 October 2026 marks the 58th anniversary of Equatorial Guinea independence.
What did Obiang mean by the ‘dark years’?
In his message, Obiang said the country had left behind the dark years when its people’s human rights were not recognised. He tied that period to colonial rule, when he said people were treated as forced labour.
Who did Obiang criticise in his anniversary message?
He criticised unnamed people who ‘hide behind social networks’, calling them cowards and ‘harmful parasites’. He urged young people not to listen to them.
How long has Obiang been in power?
Obiang took power in a military coup on 3 August 1979, so he has ruled for 47 years. His son, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, is vice president.
Why does Equatorial Guinea matter to the United States?
ExxonMobil ran the Zafiro oil field in Equatorial Guinea until 2024, and ConocoPhillips is discussing new gas projects there. The US State Department also reports human rights concerns in the country.
Sources: Oficina de Información y Prensa de Guinea Ecuatorial, presidential message on the 58th anniversary, 11 October 2026; AhoraEG, 12 October 2026; Oficina de Información y Prensa, La Paz proclaimed capital, 2 January 2026; Oficina de Información y Prensa, message on the 47th anniversary of 3 August, 2 August 2026; Oficina de Información y Prensa, vice president meets ConocoPhillips in Houston, 20 September 2026; Oficina de Información y Prensa, Washington embassy meeting, 8 October 2026; Oficina de Información y Prensa, Zafiro Block B handed to GEPetrol, 19 July 2024; US State Department, 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Equatorial Guinea, 12 August 2025.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief