Equatorial Guinea sharply criticised France at the United Nations’ top court on Tuesday, labelling its actions as “neo-colonial” in a long-running dispute over a lavish, multi-million-euro mansion in Paris that was confiscated by French authorities.
The Central African nation has petitioned the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue emergency measures to prevent France from selling the property, which was seized after the French courts convicted Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue – commonly known as Teodorin – of corruption.
French authorities confiscated the residence, which features a private cinema, a hammam, and marble fittings with gold taps, under legislation targeting wealth illicitly acquired by foreign leaders.
France and neo-colonialism
“France’s approach can be described as paternalistic and even neo-colonial,” said Carmelo Nvono-Ncá, Equatorial Guinea’s ambassador to France.
“We cannot accept such disregard for our sovereignty... we simply cannot accept it,” he added.
In 2021, France’s highest court of appeal handed Obiang – the eldest son of Equatorial Guinea’s long-time president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo – a three-year suspended prison sentence and imposed a €30 million fine.
In addition, French authorities confiscated assets including the luxurious property near the Arc de Triomphe, valued at well over €100 million.
In its most recent complaint filed with the ICJ last week, Equatorial Guinea claimed that French police entered the property last month and changed the locks on several doors.
The country is urging the court to order France to grant it “immediate, full and unrestricted access” to the building.
“France still does not seem to understand that we Africans will no longer tolerate interference in our domestic affairs,” said Nvono-Ncá.
“It is now evident that France intends to sell the property and to unilaterally determine how the proceeds will be used,” he added.
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Long-running legal battle
Responding on behalf of France, Diego Colas, legal adviser to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Equatorial Guinea’s case was “clearly without merit".
“France regrets that, at a time when the Court’s docket is filled with numerous major cases, Equatorial Guinea once again seeks to occupy its time – solely to revisit the issue of this property,” Colas said.
He further noted that any prospective sale of the property was “a long way off” and that the recent visit by French authorities was merely a “fact-finding mission” to assess the building’s condition.
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The same mansion was at the centre of a prior legal dispute filed by Equatorial Guinea in 2016 at the ICJ, which adjudicates disputes between UN member states.
Equatorial Guinea had argued that the property served as its diplomatic mission in France, and that Paris had violated the Vienna Convention, which protects diplomats and embassies from interference by host nations.
However, the Court ruled in favour of France, which maintained that the mansion was solely a personal residence of Teodorin Obiang and held no diplomatic function.
The ICJ agreed with France’s position that Equatorial Guinea only attempted to designate the property as an embassy after the French investigation had begun – particularly as the country already had an official embassy elsewhere in Paris.
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Heavy docket and limited power
Requests for emergency orders – known in legal terms as “provisional measures”– take precedence over other matters on the Court’s agenda.
The ICJ is currently grappling with a heavy caseload, including a prominent case brought by South Africa against Israel, alleging violations of the UN Genocide Convention in Gaza.
The Court is also due to deliver a landmark ruling next Wednesday on the obligations of states regarding climate change.
While ICJ rulings are binding, the Court lacks enforcement mechanisms. For instance, it previously ordered Russia to cease its invasion of Ukraine – an order that has not been complied with.
The court is now considering the Equatorial Guinea claim and will make a public ruling soon.
(With newswires)
