Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday called for “greater space for freedom” in Equatorial Guinea, while issuing a rare criticism of the living conditions of prisoners, before visiting a prison known for poor hygiene conditions and alleged abuse of detainees.
During the second day of his visit to this oil-rich African country, the head of the Catholic Church stayed in Mongomo, the stronghold of President Teodoro Obiang Nguem Mbasogo, near the border with Gabon.
At the Mass in Mongomo, which was attended by about 100,000 people, the 70-year-old US-born pope called for reducing social inequality in a country where the majority of the population lives in poverty.
– Let there be more space for freedom and let the dignity of the human person always be protected – he told the crowd, including Obiang, who has ruled since 1979 and often faces accusations of human rights violations.
– My thoughts are with the poorest, families in difficulties and prisoners who often live in worrying hygienic and sanitary conditions – he added.
The Pope was then scheduled to visit prisoners in prison in the city of Bata, the economic center and largest city on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea.
In a 2023 report, the State Department documented cases of torture, extreme overcrowding and poor sanitation in Equatorial Guinea prisons.
In 2021, Amnesty International described the detainees as “forgotten people”, often held in notorious prisons such as Bata after unfair trials.
– Since they entered behind the prison walls, they have not been seen or heard from, and their families do not know whether they are alive or dead – the report of the human rights organization states.
(Vijesti.ba)
