Equatorial Guinea Rejects Sale of Luxury Paris Mansion Confiscated by France

Equatorial Guinea has vehemently rejected France's intention to auction a luxurious mansion in Paris, which was confiscated from the nation's Vice President, Teodoro Nguema Obiang. The government has labeled the planned sale as illegal and a hostile act, warning of a potential "eventual rupture" in diplomatic ties with France.

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Equatorial Guinea categorically rejects the purported sale of the property located on Avenue Foch in Paris, property of the Equatoguinean State and headquarters for the functioning of our Diplomatic Mission in France.

Vice President Obiang, widely known as Teodorín and also the son of the head of state, stated on social media platform X that Equatorial Guinea "categorically rejects the purported sale of the property located on Avenue Foch in Paris." He asserted that the mansion is the property of the Equatoguinean state and serves as the headquarters for its diplomatic mission in France. Obiang deemed the planned auction, concerning a property that has been subject to legal and diplomatic dispute for years, as a "unilateral, hostile act incompatible with the respect that must prevail between sovereign states."

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We consider it illegal as it is not in accordance with international regulations.

Obiang further declared that his country "reserves the right to adopt all appropriate sovereign measures, which may include a comprehensive review of diplomatic relations with the French Republic, including their eventual rupture." He issued a stark warning, stating that any measure aimed at disrupting the functioning of their diplomatic mission, forcing the expulsion of diplomats, or affecting the use of the property would have proportional diplomatic consequences. This includes the strict application of the principle of reciprocity, potentially involving the seizure of the property used by the French diplomatic mission in Malabo and the expulsion of French diplomats.

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The publication of a tender for said asset, in a matter subject to legal and diplomatic controversy for years, constitutes a unilateral, hostile act incompatible with the respect that must prevail between sovereign states.

French media reported that the French Agency for Management and Recovery of Seized Assets (AGRASC) announced the property would be auctioned in lots starting in July, with bids opening in October. According to French law concerning assets confiscated due to international corruption cases, the proceeds from the sale are intended for the Equatoguinean people. The mansion, situated near the Arc de Triomphe, boasts amenities like a private cinema, Turkish bath, and gold-plated fixtures. It was initially subject to a confiscation order in 2017 after Obiang's conviction for money laundering in France, a ruling confirmed in 2020 and finalized in 2021. However, the property remained partially occupied by Equatorial Guinea until a French judicial officer inspected it in June 2025.

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Any measure aimed at disrupting the functioning of our Diplomatic Mission, forcing the exit of our diplomats or affecting the use of the aforementioned property will have proportional diplomatic consequences, including the strict application of the principle of reciprocity, recovering the property used by the French diplomatic mission in Malabo and evicting the French diplomats from it.