Equatorial Guinea’s government has issued a firm denial of reports that it foiled a coup attempt, calling the claims “completely false” and accusing a French magazine of fabricating the story.
The controversy erupted after the Jeune Afrique magazine published an article on September 4 alleging that authorities had seized a container of weapons at the port of Bata, following a tip-off from Russian intelligence linked to Africa Corps.
Initial reporting suggested Malabo had acknowledged uncovering a plot with Russian help. But within days, Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue posted on X that he “categorically” denied the magazine’s account, saying no foreign intelligence service had warned Equatorial Guinea and that no weapons container had been seized in Bata.
A government statement released on September 5 echoed this rejection, demanding an immediate public retraction from Jeune Afrique and reserving the right to take legal action over what it called unverified accusations based on anonymous sources.
Jeune Afrique reported that the operation began in late June 2026, triggered by the discovery of an arsenal hidden in a shipping container that arrived from Europe. According to the article, Russian services intercepted communications indicating the weapons were intended for a coup, prompting Malabo to act.
The magazine also named Filiberto Manale Andem, described as a self-styled “military chief” of the opposition coalition CORED (Coalition for the Restoration and Democracy), as the alleged organizer, and said local security forces had arrested associates of Andem and CORED leader Salomon Abeso Ndong. CORED has rejected the allegations, calling them a fabrication designed to discredit the opposition.
Since 2024, an estimated 100–300 Africa Corps instructors and military personnel have been deployed, mainly in Malabo and Bata, to train and protect presidential forces, with reports of a dedicated Russian intelligence “station” in the country. More recently, the Trump administration has moved closer to President Obiang’s family, partly to counter China’s strategic ambitions in the Atlantic.
Equatorial Guinea has long been prone to coup rumors under Obiang, Africa’s longest-serving leader, who seized power in 1979. Past incidents include the 2004 plot led by Simon Mann and a 2017 foiled attempt involving fighters from Chad, Sudan and the Central African Republic.
