Equatorial Guinea challenges France over Paris mansion, citing UN anti‑corruption treaty

Equatorial Guinea has filed an urgent appeal at the International Court of Justice (ICJ),demanding France halt the sale of a luxury mansion in Paris seized from Vice President Teodorin Obiang,son of the African nation’s long‑serving president.

The property was confiscated following Teodorin’s conviction for embezzlement in a French court. Representing Equatorial Guinea,Minister Carmelo Nvono‑Nca accused France of breaching obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption by refusing to return assets believed to belong to the state. He described French measures as “paternalistic” and “neo‑colonial,” and asserted that the property is public rather than personal. “It has become clear that France is determined to sell the building,” he told ICJ judges. Paris,however,dismissed the claim,calling the emergency motion ‘baseless. Diego Colas,legal adviser to France’s Foreign Affairs Ministry,stated there are no immediate plans to sell the Avenue Foch property,and criticized the procedural move as improper. He affirmed that France’s actions remain fully consistent with international law.

The dispute traces back to a 2012 French raid on Teodorin’s residence,which held a vast array of assets. A previous ICJ decision in 2020 backed France’s right to confiscate but did not directly address Equatorial Guinea’s now‑revived arguments that the mansion serves diplomatic purposes. The ICJ is expected to rule on the emergency appeal within weeks. The decision will be pivotal for both nations: setting a precedent on the enforcement of international anti‑corruption treaties,and determining whether seized assets must be returned or may be disposed of by the seizing state.