Equatorial Guinea lashed out at France at the International Court of Justice on Monday, condemning the confiscation of a more than €100 million Paris mansion owned by Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, also known as Teodorin, as paternalistic and neo-colonial.
The dispute centers on the property, a lavish six-story mansion near the Arc de Triomphe. It features a private cinema, gold-plated taps, and a hammam. France seized the residence in 2021 after Teodorin’s corruption conviction. French authorities applied the country’s ill-gotten gains law, which targets wealth embezzled by foreign officials. Teodorin received a suspended three-year sentence and a €30 million fine.
Equatorial Guinea claims the property was declared its diplomatic mission in 2011, which should grant it sovereign immunity. France disputes this, arguing it is a private asset. Ambassador Carmelo Nvono-Nca called France’s actions paternalistic, neo-colonial, and a violation of sovereignty. Equatorial Guinea has demanded that the ICJ issue an emergency order to block France from selling the property and grant full access to Equatoguinean authorities.
France maintains that the seizure aligns with its anti-corruption laws and crackdown on illicit wealth held by foreign leaders. French courts rejected the claim of diplomatic immunity, ruling the mansion was purely private and never used for official purposes.
Teodorin’s involvement is not new to controversy. The vice president, who is the son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, in power since 1979, has faced multiple global asset seizures, including a $30 million jet in the United States and supercars in Switzerland. The case highlights growing friction between Paris and former colonies over corruption, sovereignty, and post-colonial influence.
