Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo | |
|---|---|
 Obiang in 2014 | |
| 2nd President of Equatorial Guinea | |
| Assumed office 12 October 1982 | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Vice President | See list
|
| Preceded by |
|
| Chairman of the Supreme Military Council[a] | |
| In office 3 August 1979 – 12 October 1982 | |
| Deputy | See list
|
| Preceded by | Council established |
| Succeeded by | Council dissolved; Himself (as President) |
| 9th Chairperson of the African Union | |
| In office 31 January 2011 – 29 January 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Bingu wa Mutharika |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Boni Yayi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 June 1942 Acoacán, Spanish Cameroons (now Equatorial Guinea) |
| Political party | Democratic (since 1987) |
| Other political affiliations |
|
| Spouse | |
| Children | |
| Relatives |
|
| Alma mater | Colegio Nacional Enrique Nvó Okenve |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
|
| Branch/service | Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea |
| Years of service | 1968–1982 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Commands | Chief of General Staff |
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
President of Equatorial Guinea 1979–present
Government
 |
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Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (Spanish pronunciation: [teoˈðoɾo oˈβjaŋɡ eŋˈɡema embaˈsoɣo]; born 5 June 1942) is an Equatoguinean politician, dictator, and former military officer who has served as the second president of Equatorial Guinea since 1982.[1] Previously, he was the Chairman of the Supreme Military Council from 1979 to 1982. As of 2024, he is the second-longest consecutively serving current non-royal national leader in the world, behind Cameroon's Paul Biya.
After graduating from military school in Zaragoza, Spain, Obiang held multiple positions under the presidency of his uncle, Francisco Macías Nguema, including director of the notorious Black Beach prison. He ousted Macías in a military coup in 1979 and took control of the country as president and chairman of the Supreme Military Council. After the country's nominal return to civilian rule in 1982, he founded the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) in 1987, which was the country's sole legal party until 1992. He has overseen Equatorial Guinea's emergence as an important oil producer, beginning in the 1990s. Obiang was Chairperson of the African Union from 2011 to 2012.
Obiang is regarded as a authoritarian leader.[2][3] He has been widely accused of corruption and abuse of power. Under his rule, Equatorial Guinea continues to have one of the worst human rights records in the world. In marked contrast to the trend toward democracy in most of Africa, Equatorial Guinea is currently a dominant-party state, in which Obiang's PDGE holds virtually all governing power in the nation and has held all or almost all seats in the legislature since its creation. The constitution provides Obiang sweeping powers, including the right to rule by decree, effectively making his government a legal dictatorship. He has also placed family members in key government positions.[2]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "Equatorial Guinea: Palace in the jungle: Ordinary folk see none of their country's riches". The Economist. 12 March 2016. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
- ^ a b Sá, Ana Lúcia; Rodrigues Sanches, Edalina (2021). "The politics of autocratic survival in Equatorial Guinea: Co-optation, restrictive institutional rules, repression, and international projection". African Affairs. 120 (478): 78–102. doi:10.1093/afraf/adaa030. hdl:10071/22003. ISSN 0001-9909.
- ^ Matthews, Austin S.; Sá, Ana Lúcia (2024). "Elite strategy in resilient authoritarianism: Equatorial Guinea, 1979–2023". Democratization: 1–21. doi:10.1080/13510347.2024.2343105. ISSN 1743-890X.