Equatorial Guinea is weighing possible retaliatory measures against France over the sale of a Paris property confiscated from Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, a dispute that could affect bilateral cooperation in Central Africa, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported on Oct. 13. Options under consideration include terminating a land-use agreement with France and closing a regional naval academy in Tica that receives French support.

The property, at 40–42 Avenue Foch in Paris, was confiscated following French criminal proceedings against Obiang Mangue, the son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. France’s Agency for the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AGRASC) announced the sale on June 26, 2026. The deadline for firm offers was Oct. 9, with the transaction expected to be completed by Dec. 23.

AGRASC told AFP on Oct. 13 that the sale was proceeding on schedule and that it had received 15 applications from prospective buyers.

Possible measures could affect French presence

Citing a source close to Equatorial Guinea’s authorities, AFP reported that Malabo is considering withdrawing from an agreement under which it provided France with two plots of land free of charge for an initial term of 50 years, with the possibility of renewal. One site, in Malabo, hosts the French embassy; the other, in Bata, houses the Maison de la Francophonie.

Ending the agreement could force France to negotiate new terms for using the land. No official decision to terminate it has been announced, however, and ending the land-use agreement would not in itself mean the automatic closure of the French embassy.

The same source said Malabo could also close the regional naval academy in Tica. Funded by Equatorial Guinea, the institution provides naval training with support from French cooperation officers and serves personnel from about a dozen African countries, according to France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

The academy is part of the Yaoundé maritime security architecture, which supports cooperation to improve security in the Gulf of Guinea. Its closure could affect regional naval training, although the extent of any consequences remains unclear.

The possible measures follow an earlier warning from Vice President Obiang Mangue, who criticized the planned sale in June and threatened retaliation, including a possible break in diplomatic relations. The options AFP reported in October have not been confirmed as government policy.

Legal dispute remains unresolved

The conflict stems from French proceedings involving Obiang Mangue. The confiscation became final after France’s Court of Cassation ruled on July 28, 2021.

Equatorial Guinea has separately brought proceedings against France before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), arguing that France violated its obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption by failing to return the property.

In 2020, the ICJ ruled that the building had never acquired the status of diplomatic mission premises under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. In September 2025, the court rejected Equatorial Guinea’s request for provisional measures to prevent the sale. That decision did not resolve the separate proceedings over the requested return of the property.

In a response published by the French Senate on Sept. 10, 2026, France’s foreign ministry said the ICJ proceedings did not suspend enforcement of the French confiscation ruling. The ministry also said it was discussing with Equatorial Guinea how proceeds from the planned sale could be returned under France’s asset-restitution framework.

The dispute now links a protracted legal battle with broader questions about bilateral and regional cooperation. Whether Malabo will carry out any retaliatory measures remains uncertain, while France continues the sale process and discussions over the use of the proceeds.