Pope Leo XIV visits Equatorial Guinea on Africa tour

Pope Leo XIV begins the final leg of his African tour on Tuesday with a visit to Equatorial Guinea, where his increasingly outspoken defence of human rights is expected to draw close attention in one of the continent’s most closed-off states, News.Az reports, citing AFP.

After spending three days in Angola, the US-born pontiff is scheduled to arrive around noon (1100 GMT) in the Central African nation, which has been ruled since 1979 by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, 83, the world’s longest-serving head of state who is not a monarch.

Leo XIV follows in the footsteps of John Paul II, who 40 years ago became the first pope to visit Equatorial Guinea. The oil-rich country has a population of about two million people, around 80 percent of whom are Catholic, a legacy of Spanish colonial rule.

Throughout his African tour, the pope has spoken out against tyranny and exploitation while calling for peace and social justice, adopting a more forceful tone compared to his previously more reserved style.

Attention is now focused on whether this approach will continue during his visit to Equatorial Guinea, where he will be hosted by a government frequently accused of authoritarian practices and human rights abuses.

Most opposition figures and independent media in the country, who face pressure from the authorities, are currently in exile in Spain.

Equatorial Guinean authorities are regularly criticised by international NGOs over allegations of endemic corruption and repression of political opposition, including arbitrary detentions and restrictions on public freedoms.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev