Judges at the United Nations' highest court have handed France a legal victory in its long-running legal battle with Equatorial Guinea over a Paris mansion once owned by the son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
The International Court of Justice ruled on Friday that France does not have to hand back the luxurious residence on Avenue Foch - one of the French capital's most exclusive addresses - which it seized during a corruption probe into Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue. He is Equatorial Guinea's vice president and the son of long-time ruler Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
The case was launched in 2022, with Equatorial Guinea accusing France of breaching international law by holding onto the property.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
The government argued that the confiscation violated the UN Convention against Corruption and asked the court for urgent "provisional measures" to stop France selling the mansion and to return it immediately.
Equatorial Guinea accuses France of 'neo-colonialism' in Paris mansion row
But presiding judge Yuji Iwasawa said the country had "not demonstrated" a plausible legal right to reclaim the building.
French lawyers had told the court there was no question of a fire sale, describing the request as "yet another abusive manoeuvre" by Malabo.
"This dispute should be settled through negotiation, not courtroom theatrics," France's agent Diégo Colas said during a July hearing.
Equatorial Guinea's representative, Carmelo Nvono-Ncá, bristled at that stance, accusing France of being "paternalistic and even neo-colonial" and dismissing the treatment of his country as "disdain for our sovereignty."
Not a diplomatic mission, just a lavish 'pied à terre'
This is not the first time the ICJ has been asked to weigh in on the dispute. In 2020, judges ruled that the mansion was a private residence rather than a diplomatic building, rejecting an earlier claim that its seizure violated diplomatic protections.
The sprawling property - fitted out with a private cinema, a nightclub and even a Turkish-style hammam - was confiscated in 2021 after French courts found Obiang guilty of embezzling millions in state funds.
He was given a three-year suspended sentence in 2017, and prosecutors seized not only the Paris property but also luxury cars and other assets.
57-year-old Obiang has long been dogged by corruption allegations well beyond France. The UK sanctioned him in 2021, citing his lavish use of public money - including splashing out $275,000 on Michael Jackson's iconic bejewelled glove from the "Bad" tour. Switzerland and Brazil have also probed his finances.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Luxury cars seized from Equatorial Guinea leader's son auctioned in Switzerland
The legal wrangling is a stark contrast to the situation at home. Despite Equatorial Guinea's oil and gas wealth, much of the population struggles in poverty, while the ruling elite live in opulence.
The country has been led since 1979 by Obiang's father, Africa's longest-serving president.
While the ICJ has batted away this latest request, the broader case over the confiscated assets isn't finished.
Equatorial Guinea maintains that France is obliged to return the property under international anti-corruption rules.
