Keypoints:
- US grants sanctions waiver to Teddy Obiang
- Aim is to counter China and Russia in Africa
- Oil and gas ties drive Washington’s decision
THE Trump administration is preparing to issue a temporary waiver from corruption sanctions for Equatorial Guinea’s vice president, Teodoro ‘Teddy’ Nguema Obiang, allowing him to travel to the United Nations General Assembly in New York and visit other American cities.
Two officials familiar with the matter told reporters that the State Department is processing a one-month waiver. They said the decision was guided by US national interests, with the aim of countering China’s growing influence in the West African state and safeguarding American energy investments, according to an AP report.
Corruption allegations shadow Obiang
Obiang, son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has long faced corruption allegations. He has been accused by prosecutors in multiple countries of siphoning state funds to bankroll luxury cars, mansions and yachts.
In 2017, a French court convicted him of embezzling millions of euros, imposing a suspended three-year prison sentence and a €30 million fine, while seizing his properties and supercars. In 2023, South Africa confiscated two of his villas and a yacht after a successful lawsuit by a citizen alleging unlawful arrest and torture.
In the United States, Obiang settled a corruption case in 2014 by forfeiting more than $30 million in assets, including a Malibu mansion, a Ferrari and a collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia.
At the time, US assistant attorney general Leslie Caldwell accused him of ‘relentless embezzlement and extortion’ and said he had ‘embarked on a corruption-fuelled spending spree in the United States while many of his fellow citizens lived in extreme poverty.’
Oil wealth and deep poverty
Equatorial Guinea, a small oil-rich state of nearly two million people, remains among Africa’s most unequal countries. Despite vast petroleum revenues, international agencies estimate that 70 percent of the population lives in poverty.
President Obiang, who has ruled since 1979, is Africa’s longest-serving leader and is frequently accused of corruption and authoritarianism. His son Teddy, who controls defence and security, is widely seen as his successor.
Countering Beijing and Moscow
US officials said the waiver was justified by growing Chinese interest in Equatorial Guinea. Beijing is pressing to establish a naval base there — its first on the Atlantic coast and its second in Africa after Djibouti. Washington regards the plan as a strategic threat.
‘Granting the waiver builds goodwill with Obiang, blunts Russia’s expanding influence, and helps secure the position of American oil and gas firms,’ one official said. ‘Denying it would risk straining ties with an important partner.’
Russia has also stepped up engagement with Equatorial Guinea, further fuelling Washington’s concerns.
Restrictions previously limited Obiang
In recent years, the US confined Obiang’s travel to the immediate New York area during UN events, a restriction officials said embarrassed him. The new waiver will allow him to travel to Miami and Los Angeles, where he has held property and luxury vehicles.
The State Department declined to comment on the decision. Attempts to reach Equatorial Guinea’s presidency and UN mission went unanswered.
Sanctions pressure elsewhere
The decision comes as the Trump administration tightens visa rules for others. Palestinian Authority leaders were denied visas to attend this month’s UN gathering, while Iranian and Brazilian delegations face additional restrictions.
Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro, also under US sanctions, is unlikely to attend the assembly following an American military strike that destroyed a Venezuelan vessel alleged to be engaged in drug trafficking.
Washington has also tightened student visa requirements for individuals accused of supporting pro-Palestinian activity, while increasing financial conditions for citizens of several countries.
A test of priorities
The waiver for Obiang highlights the competing forces shaping US foreign policy in Africa: denunciations of corruption on the one hand, and strategic imperatives to counter China and Russia on the other.
Whether the decision marks a long-term shift in Washington’s approach to Equatorial Guinea remains unclear. For now, it underscores the readiness of the US to set aside sanctions pressure in favour of geopolitical advantage.
