EBANG ENGONGA’s situation distorts and denigrates the image of our women - Equatorial Guinea First Lady reacts to scandal

Friday, November 8, 2024 – Equatorial Guinea First Lady, Constancia Mangue Obiang, has expressed outrage over the s3x scandal involving the former Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) Baltasar Ebang Engonga.

Engonga was dismissed after widely circulating s3x videos involving him and numerous women surfaced online.

The First Lady expressed her indignation during a meeting with Prime Minister Manuel Osa Nsue, who oversees administrative coordination.

Mrs Constancia Mangue Obiang also sought to know the strategy that the Government proposes to mitigate the situation, which according to her, “does nothing but distort and denigrate the image of the Guineo-Ecuadorian woman”

In a statement posted on Facebook Wednesday, November 6, 2024, the First Lady Press Office (Ofiprensa Primera Dama) announced that Mrs Obiang called for immediate government intervention to uphold the dignity of Equatoguinean women and protect their privacy in the digital age.

She stressed that while the government has advanced gender equality, proactive measures are essential—not only to respond to incidents like these but also to prevent them—to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all women.

Prime Minister Osa Nsue also acknowledged the situation’s impact and emphasised the importance of measures safeguarding individual privacy and the nation’s public image.

He further noted that the government is contemplating stricter privacy laws as it grapples with the scandal’s impact on the nation’s public image and gender equality initiatives.

Recognising the issue, he mentioned that his office actively seeks ways to control it and draw lessons from these mistakes to prevent similar incidents from affecting society.

"The Government of Equatorial Guinea, aware of the impact of social media and the growing presence of private content on digital platforms, is also considering strengthening laws related to privacy and personal data protection to prevent further violations of citizens’ rights," Mr Osa Nsue said.

"The case of Baltasar Ebang Engonga has sparked a broader discussion on the boundaries of privacy in the digital age and the role of institutions in protecting individuals’ fundamental rights.

"In this regard, the government emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach combining legislation, education, and social awareness to curb the proliferation of inappropriate online content."

The First Lady and the Prime Minister ended the meeting with a shared commitment to collaboratively implement measures to restore public trust in institutions and safeguard the reputation of Equatoguinean women from similar incidents in the future.

They explored potential strategies to prevent such situations from reoccurring.