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France wins battle in real estate dispute with Equatorial Guinea

Auteur: AFP

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La France remporte une bataille dans un litige immobilier avec la Guinée équatoriale

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday rejected a claim by Equatorial Guinea in a long-running dispute with France over a Parisian mansion confiscated by French authorities in the so-called "ill-gotten gains" case.

Equatorial Guinea had asked the ICJ to issue emergency orders to prevent France from selling the luxury Parisian property seized in 2012, which includes a cinema, a hammam, and marble and gold bathrooms.

"After carefully considering the parties' arguments, the court concludes that Equatorial Guinea has not demonstrated... that it has a plausible right to restitution of the building," said Presiding Judge Yuji Iwasawa.

"For these reasons, the court, by 13 votes to 2, rejects the request for the indication of interim measures," he added.

The two countries have been fighting for more than a decade over the property located on Avenue Foch, near the Arc de Triomphe.

The building, estimated to be worth more than 100 million euros, was seized as part of a corruption investigation into Equatorial Guinean Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, commonly known as Teodorin.

In 2021, the French courts finally sentenced Teodorin - the eldest son of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, president of Equatorial Guinea since 1979 - to three years in prison, suspended, a €30 million fine and the confiscation of all his assets seized for "laundering of misuse of corporate assets, embezzlement of public funds and breach of trust" between 1997 and 2011.

Malabo wanted the ICJ to order France not to sell the mansion and to allow "immediate, full and unhindered access" to the building.

Equatorial Guinea claims French police entered the property in June, changed the locks on several doors and destroyed security cameras.

- "Contempt" -

France's approach could be described as "paternalistic, even neocolonial," said Carmelo Nvono-Nca, ambassador of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea to France, during a hearing before the ICJ in The Hague in July.

"We cannot accept such disregard for our sovereignty on the part of France," he added.

In response to these accusations, France denounced "yet another abusive maneuver by Equatorial Guinea" before the judges.

"France regrets that, at a time when the court's docket is so full of numerous major cases, Equatorial Guinea is once again mobilizing your office," declared Diégo Colas, director of legal affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A request for emergency orders – provisional measures, in the court's jargon – takes precedence over all other pending legal cases at the ICJ, which adjudicates disputes between UN member states.

The ICJ is currently handling several important cases, including a high-profile case brought by South Africa against Israel, which is accused of "genocide" in the Gaza Strip.

The court also issued a long-awaited opinion in July on countries' obligations regarding climate change.

Auteur: AFP
Publié le: Vendredi 12 Septembre 2025

Commentaires (7)

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    Mamadou il y a 1 jour

    Guinée équatoriale.............Pop. sous le seuil de pauvreté 66,8 % (2020) /
    2023......Plus de 70 % de la population équato-guinéenne vit dans la pauvreté.

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    Réalité il y a 1 jour

    100% derrière la France. Les biens mal acquis doivent tous être saisis. Ce n'est qu'à ce pris qu'on freinera en parti la corruption sur le continent. S'ils ne peuvent plus planquer leur argent en Europe ils arrêteront.

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    Mo il y a 1 jour

    Mamadou c'est François du Bois.
    Si les bien sont mal aquis , ils doivent etre retournès à leurs veritable proprietaires : le peuple de guinèe equatorial . Alors , ça n'appartient pas à la france .

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    Focus il y a 1 jour

    Oui Mo. Cet Immeuble doit être restitué à l'État de Guinée Équatoriale. Il a été acheté avec de l'argent pris en Guinée équatoriale.
    Si la France s'approprie l'immeuble, sa valeur actuelle doit être transférée dans les comptes du Trésor Public de la Guinée équatoriale.

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    Yollé yollé il y a 23 heures

    Techniquement la Guinée équatoriale n' aucun droit à se prévaloir Sur une infraction commise sur le sol français

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    LEYO LEYO il y a 23 heures

    La guinee equatoriale n' a qu a faire de meme pour se faire rembourser. Sinon vendre l'hotel et le restituer au pays d'ou serait originaire les fonds

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    Bathie il y a 18 heures

    A voleur, voleur et demi. Pourquoi la France va rendre cet immeuble acquis avec de l'argent volé aux EquatoGuineens par le fils de leur dictateur?
    La GE n'a aucun.droit sur l'immeuble! Aucun! Parceque c'est le produit d'un vol...
    Alors la France vendra cet immeuble pour elle!
    A Con, plus Con que toi.

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