Pope Leo arrived in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday for the final leg of his four-nation Africa tour, delivering pointed criticism of authoritarian rule and economic inequality during the trip.
The pontiff travelled from Angola to the capital city, Malabo, where he is scheduled to address political leaders and meet with the country’s long-serving president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
Obiang has ruled the Central African nation since 1979, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in the world. The visit marks the first papal trip to the country since Pope John Paul II visited in 1982.
During earlier engagements on the tour, Leo criticised what he described as growing exploitation by authoritarian leaders and wealthy elites. Speaking in Angola on Monday, he said many people across the world were being “exploited by authoritarians and defrauded by the rich.”
His remarks reflect a more forceful tone that has emerged during the Africa visit. The pope’s outspoken comments have also drawn criticism from Donald Trump in the United States.
Human rights advocates say the papal visit could highlight issues of governance and accountability in Equatorial Guinea.
According to U.S.-based activist Tutu Alicante, Leo’s arrival offers an opportunity to reinforce the importance of human dignity and justice.
“His visit presents a profound opportunity to affirm clearly that human dignity, justice and accountability are essential responsibilities of governance,” Alicante said.
More than 70 percent of Equatorial Guinea’s population of about 1.8 million people identify as Catholic, making the pope’s visit significant for the country’s religious community.
Leo, the first pope from the United States and a former missionary in Peru, is expected to conduct most of his speeches in Spanish during the two-day visit.
His itinerary includes a stop in Bata, where he will visit a high-security detention facility that has drawn criticism from Amnesty International. The group has described the site as one of several prisons where detainees, including political prisoners, have been held for years without access to lawyers or family members.
Authorities in Equatorial Guinea have denied allegations of abuses and maintain that the country operates an open democratic system.
While in Bata, the pope will also lead prayers at the site of a 2021 explosion at a military barracks that killed more than 100 people. The government attributed the disaster to improper storage of explosives, though rights groups have called for an independent investigation.
Leo’s Africa journey has been one of the most complex undertaken by a Catholic leader, covering nearly 18,000 kilometres across four countries in 10 days, with multiple flights and stops in more than 11 cities and towns.
Observers say the pope’s final engagements in Equatorial Guinea will test whether his calls for justice, accountability and reform resonate with political leaders and translate into lasting change after the visit concludes.
