Equatorial Guinea's Entire Cabinet Resigns After Failing to Meet Targets

The government of Equatorial Guinea is facing political upheaval after all cabinet members resigned simultaneously following low achievement of government programme targets. The decision was taken after the government was deemed to have failed to meet most of the goals that had been set. Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue announced on Tuesday that Prime Minister Manuel Osa Nsue Nsuga had submitted the cabinet’s collective resignation to the government. According to Obiang, the cabinet failed to meet most of the targets set by the government. He revealed that the level of achievement only reached around 10 per cent of the planned targets. However, he did not explain in detail how these targets were measured or what indicators were used to assess the government’s success. “The level of implementation achieved is clearly inadequate compared to the expectations and commitments that were made,” Obiang said in a statement posted on platform X. Obiang is not only the vice president but also the son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has long led the country. The ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) stated that the president was dissatisfied with the government’s performance. According to the party, several issues were the main reasons for the president’s dissatisfaction, including corrupt practices, delays in implementing various development projects, and the government’s failure to diversify the economy. A new government is expected to be formed in the coming days to replace the outgoing cabinet. Although the entire cabinet has resigned, the move is not expected to alter the power landscape in the oil-rich Central African nation. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo remains the dominant figure in Equatorial Guinea’s political system. He has held power since 1979 and is known as Africa’s longest-serving president. In Equatorial Guinea’s system of government, the president holds extensive authority, including appointing cabinet members and forming the government. Therefore, the cabinet’s resignation is viewed more as a governmental reorganisation rather than a political change that could shift the balance of power in the country. Equatorial Guinea has also been under the spotlight of various international human rights organisations for many years. Human rights groups and the US State Department have previously accused the country’s authorities of committing various human rights violations against those who voice criticism of the government. According to these accusations, state apparatus have been accused of carrying out detentions, torture, and even killings of individuals who dare to criticise the rulers. Amid this international scrutiny, Equatorial Guinea is also one of ten African nations that signed a controversial agreement with the administration of US President Donald Trump regarding the acceptance of deportees from third countries. The agreement drew widespread criticism from various parties and became one of the issues adding to international attention on the policies of the Equatorial Guinean government.