By Ayomide Otitoju
Pope Leo XIV is set to begin the final leg of his African tour on Tuesday with a visit to Equatorial Guinea, where his increasingly outspoken stance on human rights is expected to draw close attention in one of the continent’s most tightly controlled states.
The US-born pontiff arrives after a three-day visit to Angola and is scheduled to land around noon (1100 GMT) in the Central African nation, which has been ruled since 1979 by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the world’s longest-serving non-monarch head of state.
Pope Leo XIV follows in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II, who visited the oil-rich country four decades ago, becoming the first pontiff to do so. About 80 percent of Equatorial Guinea’s population of two million identifies as Catholic, reflecting its colonial history under Spain.
Throughout his African tour, the pope has adopted a more assertive tone, criticising tyranny and exploitation while advocating peace and social justice. Observers are watching to see whether this approach will continue during his visit to Equatorial Guinea, whose government has faced longstanding allegations of authoritarianism and human rights abuses.
Opposition figures and independent media, often targeted by authorities, largely operate in exile, particularly in Spain. International rights groups have frequently cited the country for endemic corruption, repression of dissent, arbitrary detentions, and restrictions on civil liberties.
In Malabo, the capital located on Bioko Island in the Gulf of Guinea, streets have been adorned with large portraits of the pope, alongside Vatican and national flags. Church choirs are expected to perform a hymn composed in his honour during the visit.
A resident, Juan Raul, described the visit as a unifying moment for the nation, expressing hope it would inspire renewed religious engagement.
During his stay, the pope will address President Obiang, government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, civil society representatives, and cultural leaders. On Wednesday, he will travel to Mongomo, the president’s stronghold, to celebrate mass and meet students at a technology institute named after Pope Francis.
He will then proceed to Bata, the country’s economic hub, where he is scheduled to honour victims of a 2021 military camp explosion that killed more than 100 people, and visit inmates at a local prison.
The visit will conclude on Thursday with a large mass at Malabo Stadium, marking the end of the pope’s 11-day, 18,000-kilometre journey across Africa.
