World's longest-serving president primed to extend authoritarian reign in Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

(Image credit: Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

published 20 November 2022

Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Africa's longest-serving ruler and the longest-serving president in world history, was primed Sunday to extend his unprecedented 43-year authoritarian rule, The Associated Press reported.

While Obiang is running in an election, AP noted that the country's electoral system is not considered free, and Obiang has never gotten less than 90 percent of the vote in his four decades in power. This trend looked likely to continue, and just two opposition candidates ran against Obiang, who was expected to once again win in a landslide.

Obiang's presidency has been marked by numerous human rights abuses and authoritarian tactics, BBC News reported. This includes reports of torture and forced disappearances of political opponents. Under Obiang's rule, Equatorial Guinea has remained among the poorest countries in the world, though his family is thought to have immense wealth due to the nation's oil reserves. BBC News noted that Obiang's son — who serves as Equatorial Guinea's vice president — has enjoyed a lifestyle of luxury in both the United States and Europe.

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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.

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