Learn How Power Struggle Led to Baltasar Ebang Engonga’s 400 Sex Tapes Scandal

The release of over 400 explicit videos allegedly involving Baltasar Ebang Engonga, a senior civil servant in Equatorial Guinea, has captivated the nation and exposed a deeper political power play. The footage, allegedly filmed in his office and elsewhere, includes encounters with women tied to the country’s elite, including relatives of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

Engonga, also known as “Bello” for his good looks, was arrested on October 25 on corruption charges, accused of embezzling state funds into offshore accounts. Days later, his seized devices reportedly became the source of the leaked videos, igniting a scandal that rocked the small but politically charged nation.

Observers speculate this is no mere morality tale but a calculated manoeuvre in a high-stakes succession battle. President Obiang, 82, has ruled since 1979, making him the world’s longest-serving leader. With the nation’s oil wealth dwindling and rampant poverty among its 1.7 million citizens, questions over the country’s future leadership loom large.

Engonga, a nephew of Obiang and a contender for succession, may have been deliberately discredited to eliminate him from the race.

Vice-President Teodoro Obiang Mangue, the president’s son and another successor hopeful, condemned the leaks, pushing telecom firms to stem their spread. Meanwhile, the public speculates about the videos’ origins, possibly linked to security forces who confiscated Engonga’s devices.

The scandal reveals more than personal indiscretions; it underscores the opaque and ruthless dynamics of power in Equatorial Guinea. As activists like Nsang Christia Esimi Cruz suggest, the scandal signifies a regime’s twilight and fierce jockeying for control of its future.