Baltasar Engonga Scandal: 10 Incredible Things To Know About Equatorial Guinea

The leak of hundreds of explicit videos involving an Equatorial Guinea senior government official, Baltasar Ebang Engonga, has beamed a spotlight on one of Africa’s most opaque countries.

The scandal has garnered widespread attention both within Africa and internationally. It has trended on social media platforms across African countries like Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. 

The incident, though deemed trivial in some social quarters, also underscores the opaque and turbulent political landscape of Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea, despite its oil wealth, has a significant portion of its 1.7 million population living in poverty. The government has been criticised for human rights abuses, including allegations of arbitrary killings and torture. The lavish lifestyles of the elite, juxtaposed with the country’s economic struggles, have long been a point of contention.

Activists fear that the scandal may be used to justify a crackdown on social media and dissent. Given that social media is a crucial platform for information dissemination in the country, such actions could further restrict freedoms.

Whatever the case, Equatorial Guinea needs to be in the News for much more than just a sex scandal. Here are ten interesting facts about Equatorial Guinea.

(1) The President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, is the longest serving President in the world. He overthrew his own uncle, Francisco Macías Nguema, in a military coup in 1979, had him executed and seized power. He has been President for 45 years

(2) Equatorial Guinea is one of the few countries in the world where the capital is not in the country. The capital of Equatorial Guinea is the Island of Malabo, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It takes a 40 minute flight from Equatorial Guinea, over the Atlantic Ocean to get to it.

(3) Equatorial Guinea is the only country in the world that has Father and son as President and vice-president. While President Obiang Nguema is President, his first son Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, is vice President. In addition to this, 4 of Presidents other son's are ministers of Oil, Sports, mines and industry, and Agriculture. The first lady, Constancia Mangue, is also minister of Health

(4) Equatorial Guinea is amongst the top 10 most corrupt countries in the world. Although Equatorial is an oil rich country, much of its 1.7 million people live in abject poverty while the President, his family and cronies live a lavish life. President Nguema owns six private jets, homes in Cape Town, Paris, Madrid, Las Palmas and Maryland, and bank accounts in numerous countries, including France and Switzerland.He bought a $2.6 million residence in Potomac, Maryland , USA. His wife, Constancia Mangue, also owns $1.5 villa in the same city. His first son, Teodoro Nguema obiang Mangue, is such a big Michael Jackson fan that he once bought the diamond encrusted gloves the late artist used in performing for $270,000. In 2012, the Nguema family mansion in Paris, worth over 100 million Euros was raided by French Police, over 30 million Euros worth of items including 17 luxury cars, cloths and jewelry were seized as part money laundering investigations.

(5) At 82 years old, President Obiang Nguema is the second oldest President in Africa after Paul Biya of Cameroun, and the 5th oldest President in the world. He also has 5 wife's and an unknown number of children.

(6) The residents of Equatorial Guinea have the highest literacy rate in Sub-Saharan Africa: Equatorial Guinea's efforts to improve education have been successful and recognized by UNESCO with recent data that ranked it as the highest adult literacy country in Sub-Saharan Africa, reaching 93% of the population.

(7) The only Spanish-speaking country in Africa: Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa, having become independent from Spain on October 12, 1968, during the eleventh Government of Francisco Franco, as part of the "process of decolonization of Africa", supported by the United Nations.

(8) One of Africa's wealthiest countries: With a GDP-PPP per capita of $17,237, Equatorial Guinea relies heavily on its oil wealth to drive economic development. While oil remains a dominant factor, efforts to diversify the economy and invest in sectors like agriculture and infrastructure have contributed to its economic success.

(9) One of the smallest and least populated African countries: Yes, Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest and least populated countries in Africa. With a size of 28,050 square kilometers, the country is one of the smallest countries in mainland Africa. As of 2024, the population of Equatorial Guinea is estimated to be 1,669,000. This makes it one of the least populated countries in continental Africa

(10) Interesting weather conditions: The climate of both the continental region and the islands is typically equatorial, with high temperatures, heavy rainfall, and much cloud cover most of the year. On Bioko Island, the rainy season may be a bit scary, extending from July to January. Seasonal flooding can slow down overland travel and reduce the delivery of essential services. Bioko’s dry season lasts from November to March, and the rest of the year is rainy. The average annual temperature is in the mid- to upper 70s F (about 25 °C), and temperature varies little throughout the year, reaching the high 80s F (about 32 °C) in the afternoon and dropping to the low 70s F (about 21 °C) at night.