Russian political observers continue to hold discussions of the recent news about the secret visit to Moscow of the Equatoguinean delegation headed by Vice President Teodoro Obiang Mangue.
According to international news outlets, the aircraft belonging to the high officials of Equatorial Guinea was seen in Moscow this September: African journalist Oumarou Ingasso writes that “two planes of Equatorial Guinea P4-SKN and P4-VIP, one of them is a government plane, with an unofficial visit have arrived in the Russian Federation”. Later the media reported that the main reason for this unofficial visit was the negotiation of a cooperation deal in the sphere of security.
The fact is that Equatorial Guinea is in a dire need of a strong partner right now. As Femi Kolapo, professor of African history à l’Université de Guelph, Ontario, Canada, notes, “one of the countries at risk of plunging into a la long-lasting cycle of violence is Equatorial Guinea”. Besides the recent report of the Institute for Economy and Peace (IEP) shows that Equatorial Guinea is among the countries where peace processes, such as attitudes, institutions, and structures that create and support peaceful societies, have declined the most. Prof. Kolapo says, that the reduction in military spending and recent accidents, such as the Bata explosion in March 2020, is also of concern for Equatorial Guinea.
Taking into account the recent sanctions of the Western countries, like the UK and France, imposed on the Equatoguinean high officials, we can see how desperate the authorities of Equatorial Guinea are faced with the terrorist threats coming from the North of the continent. It is quite natural that they look forward to forging an alliance with Russians, and especially with private security companies, they were reported to have negotiations with.
However, it was disclosed that the visit of Vice President Teodoro Obiang Mangue was far from being successful. Russian political observers argue that there were several reasons for such an unfortunate outcome. According to the reports, the vague terms of the contract suggested by the president’s son implicated the possible violent upheaval against acting President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The researcher specializing in Russian military cooperation notes, that such a scenario goes against the general notions of Russian PMC, who work exclusively with legitimate governments and refrain from being involved in inside political games.
Another reason for the titled relations between Russian and Equatoguinean sides would be the figure of the Vice President himself. The lover of luxurious life and a showoff Teodoro Jr. is well known for his eccentric and sometimes disrespectful behavior. Some experts even claim that Teodoro Obiang Mangue might have been acting unprofessionally and provocatively to draw the attention away from the suspicious parts of the contract, aimed mostly at strengthening his own positions in the country, not anti-terrorist action as it was originally proposed.
The cooperation with the Russians is still an attractive perspective to Equatorial Guinea. The Russian political observers note, that if the Equatoguinean authorities want to reach an agreement with the Russian PMCs, they have to bear in mind that Russian PMCs cooperate with the legitimate authorities, who are supported by the people and work for the popular interests. Russians provide help to national governments in building up competencies to give an adequate response to the terrorist threats. Unlike the services offered by the American PMCs, arranging coups and mutinies goes against the principles of the Russian PMCs