U.S. Commandos Strengthen Ties with Equatorial Guinea: A Controversial Move
U.S. commandos have shown a special interest in strengthening ties with one of the most corrupt, abusive, and repressive regimes on the planet. The delivery of aid by Special Operations forces to the coastal African nation of Equatorial Guinea last month followed pilgrimages to the country’s pariah president by top U.S. officials.
The move came amid shifting West African geopolitics. A Pentagon report last year mentioned Equatorial Guinea as the potential site of a future Chinese military base. At the same time, U.S. relations with longtime allies in Central and West Africa have frayed, often in the aftermath of coups d’état by American-trained military officers.
The aid to Equatorial Guinea appears to be the latest facet of a U.S. charm offensive to woo the country’s president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, a tyrant now in his sixth decade in power, as the U.S. has lost influence in the African Sahel.
“We hope that this donation is the beginning of additional cooperation,” said Commander Michael White, the defense attaché to the U.S. Embassy in Equatorial Guinea, after U.S. Special Operations Command Africa spearheaded a modest donation of humanitarian aid to the tiny, oil-rich central African nation.
U.S. Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea David Gilmour expressed hope that the recent donation of medical supplies would be the “first of many opportunities to partner with” the government there. It follows high-level engagement by the administration of President Joe Biden with Obiang’s regime.
“This seems to run counter to every value that the Biden administration publicly espouses when it comes to democracy, human rights, and anticorruption,” said Cameron Hudson, a former Africa analyst at the CIA, now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The administration is doing everything it can to maintain a military foothold on the continent. And if we don’t already have a foothold, to create one. So establishing or deepening relationships with particularly odious regimes like Equatorial Guinea are not off the table.”
Efforts to improve relations with the notorious kleptocracy come as the U.S. has been forced to scale back its military reach on the continent. The Pentagon curtailed military ties with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger following coups and reduced its counterterrorism activities in Cameroon due to human rights abuses by the country’s military.
Equatorial Guinea: A History of Corruption and Torture
Equatorial Guinea has been plagued by oppression, corruption, and poverty for decades. After seizing power in a military coup in 1979, Obiang and his family have ruled it as their personal fiefdom. Despite significant oil wealth, the country suffers widespread poverty due to rampant embezzlement.
The most recent State Department report on human rights in Equatorial Guinea details credible reports of extrajudicial killings, torture, “inhuman” punishment, arbitrary arrest, and political imprisonment by the state, among many other abuses. It also chronicles corruption at all levels of government, especially at the top.
In 2011, the U.S. Justice Department seized assets purchased with looted funds laundered in the U.S. from Teodoro “Teodorin” Nguema Obiang Mangue, the president’s son and now Equatorial Guinea’s vice president. The seizures have not affected Teodorin’s conspicuous consumption, typified by his penchant for enjoying the high life on a luxury superyacht and staying in lavish hotels while asking for aid.
Pentagon’s China Fears and Biden’s Engagement
In recent years, U.S. officials have publicly fretted about China establishing a naval outpost in West Africa. The Defense Department reported it was “likely” that China has considered locating a “military logistics” facility in Equatorial Guinea.
Since Biden took office, Obiang, his son, or both have met with top U.S. officials, raising concerns about U.S. engagement with a regime known for human rights abuses and corruption.
Experts argue that engaging with Equatorial Guinea undermines U.S. credibility across Africa and sends a message that American values are negotiable.
In conclusion, the controversial move by U.S. commandos to strengthen ties with Equatorial Guinea raises questions about American foreign policy priorities and values in Africa. As geopolitical dynamics shift in West Africa, the decision to cozy up to one of the world’s worst dictators has sparked criticism and concerns about human rights and corruption. The Biden administration’s engagement with Equatorial Guinea highlights the complexities of navigating relationships with repressive regimes while upholding democratic principles and human rights standards on the global stage.