The controversy surrounds allegations that France is unfairly holding onto assets seized from the nation’s Vice President, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, based on corruption charges.
Equatorial Guinea claims the assets rightfully belong to the state and should be returned, and it has filed an urgent petition at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing France of violating its sovereignty, as reported by Radio France Internationale
The disputed residence, which features a private cinema, a hammam, and marble fittings with gold taps, was confiscated under French legislation targeting wealth illicitly acquired by foreign leaders.
“France’s approach can be described as paternalistic and even neo-colonial,” said Carmelo Nvono-Ncá, Equatorial Guinea’s ambassador to France. “We cannot accept such disregard for our sovereignty… we simply cannot accept it,” he added.
The backstory
The dispute centers on a long-running corruption case in which French courts found Obiang guilty of embezzling public funds to acquire luxury properties.
Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, Vice President of Equatorial Guinea and son of the country’s long-time president, received a three-year suspended prison sentence and a €30 million fine in 2017. French authorities also seized several assets, including a €100 million mansion near the Arc de Triomphe.
After the sentencing and asset confiscation, the British government also sanctioned Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue.
Then–Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab accused him of engaging in “corrupt contracting arrangements and soliciting bribes, to fund a lavish lifestyle inconsistent with his official salary as a government minister.”
Equatorial Guinea later claimed the mansion was part of its diplomatic mission, accusing France of violating the Vienna Convention. But the court sided with France, ruling the property served no diplomatic purpose and belonged to Obiang personally.
In a fresh filing to the ICJ, Equatorial Guinea alleges French police recently re-entered the building and changed its locks. The country is demanding “immediate, full and unrestricted access” to the site.
Under new French legislation, seized assets are to be sold, with proceeds intended to be returned to Equatorial Guinea rather than absorbed by the French state.
However, the Equatorial Guinean government has expressed skepticism, accusing France of harboring ulterior motives regarding how the funds will be used after the sale.
“France still does not seem to understand that we Africans will no longer tolerate interference in our domestic affairs,” said Carmelo Nvono-Ncá, Equatorial Guinea’s legal representative. “It is now evident that France intends to sell the property and to unilaterally determine how the proceeds will be used.”
In response, Diego Colas, legal adviser to France’s foreign ministry, argued the case is “clearly without merit.” Speaking further, he said any potential sale was “a long way off” and that the authorities’ recent visit to the property was merely a “fact-finding mission” to assess its condition.
The ICJ is currently reviewing the claim and is expected to rule publicly in due course.
