WI: Equatorial Guinea without Macías

Mort the Reaper

Few countries have undergone as much damage at the hands of a single leader as Equatorial Guinea. While we can only make educated guesses about what might have happened otherwise, it seems pretty safe to say that the country was almost single-handedly ruined by one man: Francisco Macías Nguema.

Coming to power in 1969 after the only free and fair election Equatorial Guinea has ever seen, Macías somehow managed to make independence from Francoist Spain look like a terrible mistake. Though Macías is fairly obscure as far as dictators go, he's on the short list for the title of worst dictator in African history after one accounts for resources, which is almost impressive considering the... "distinguished" competition he has. Human rights abuses and economic mismanagement are sadly a fact of life in much of Africa, but Macías almost seemed like he was trying to speedrun through the milestones of tyranny: vote rigging, kleptocracy, brutal executions, a cult of personality, objectively insane laws, kangaroo courts, anti-intellectualism, torture, starvation, ethnic cleansing, religious persecution; you name it, he did it. By the time of his 1979 overthrow in a coup led by his own nephew, at least 50,000 people were dead and 100,000 had fled the country, which are big numbers considering Equatorial Guinea's population was only 300,000-400,000. The man was basically an African Pol Pot, and his brutal reign of terror left a legacy of tyranny that continues to this day.

What if Macías had never come to power? Would Equatorial Guinea be an African success story? Or would it have still suffered badly, if not as horrifically as OTL?
 
SealTheRealDeal

SealTheRealDeal

Who takes his place as first leader post-independence? The local Francoist who was the runner up or the Pan-Africanist who endorsed Macias during the run-off? The later might be more likely to win (as likely Macias' base might flock to him in Macias' absence) but the former would likely make for the more interesting TL (Fascism for the black man! Opus Dei technocrats! Tourism to supplement oil!)
 
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John Farson

Banned
Just for reference, a description of Equatorial Guinea during the totalitarian regime of Francisco Macias Nguema (1968 - 1979), who proclaimed himself a "Hitlerian Marxist". And this was more or less his ideology as an admirer of Hitler and a friend of the Soviet Union.

  • Based on a report from 1968, the Service de Documentation Extérieure et de Contre-Espionnage argued that he suffered from mental disorders and venereal diseases whose effects of his psyche were worsened by his regular consumption of drugs such as cannabis in the form of bhang, and iboga, a drink with strong hallucinogenic effects.
  • At the beginning of his rule, the country had a popualtion of 350,000; about 50% of them would flee the country while between 10 - 15% of them would be executed during his regime.
  • Boats were destroyed and the road leading to the outside world was transformed into a minefield to prevent the population fleeing the country.
  • Medicine and hospitals were banned, instead witch-doctors and ancient rituals were used to treat the sick.
  • All foreigners were expelled.
  • The entire government and administration of the country was staffed with family members and their friends. There is not a single case of greater nepotism in the world.
  • The word "intellectual" was banned and everyone defined as intellectual (which included wearing glasses or being a businessman) was killed. Having a book or even a single sheet of paper would also get you killed.
    All teachers and every former and current minister of education were also killed.
    Only 6 "intellectuals" survived this purge, this includes 2 doctors and 4 technical-school graduates.
  • Shoes were banned, yes, that's right. He considered shoes "un-african" and "intellectual".
  • Railways were destroyed.
  • Schools were banned, the only education for children came from propaganda courses. To pass this "school system," one had to learn every title of the Dictator (he had 50 in total); the majority of them are quite funny :
    "Great Strategist against colonialism in general."
    "Great Strategist against Spanish colonialism in particular."
    "Grand Master in Education, Science, Culture and Traditional Arts."
    "Unique Miracle of Equatorial Guinea"
    "First Worker of the Working People of Equatorial Guinea."
    "Great Teacher of Revolutionary Education of the Working People of Equatorial Guinea."
    "Architect who has passed the Economy to the Working People of Equatorial Guinea. Commerce, farm exploitation, etc."
    ( the "etc." is actually part of his title. )
    Every "teacher" who refused to teach children those titles and "revolutionary slogans" were immediately executed.
  • The main power-station of the capital was closed; Nguema said he could meet the energy demand with his magical powers.
  • Libraries were destroyed.
  • All forms of media were banned, from newspapers and TV to radio.
  • The entire population was effectively forced into slavery ( unpaid labour )
  • The economy and currency was abolished, instead people exchanged goods they needed. If you want to know what an "economy-less" country looks like, look at his regime, no statistics, no plans, nothing was made and the currency (+ gold reserves) were forcefully taken away and stored in a village where Nguema lived.
  • On Christmas Eve 1975, he had 150 suspected dissidents executed by soldiers dressed as Santa Claus at the national football stadium in Malabo, while amplifiers were playing Mary Hopkin's song "Those Were the Days."
  • He outlawed Christianity, and in 1978 he changed the national motto to "There is no other God than Macías Nguema".
  • By 1979, his servants stated that Macías Nguema had become increasingly withdrawn, often spending the time mostly alone at his Mongomo villa. He would wander around, repeatedly saying the names of his victims, and worshipping a collection of heads as per Fang tradition, hoping that this would grant him power. Even more disturbing to the servants was one occasion, however, when he ordered a meal and table to be prepared for eight guests. He then sat there alone, casually talking "with the dead".
  • In the end he was overthrown by his own family, specifically his nephew, because Nguema started to persecute his own family as well due to them questioning his policies and drug abuse.
The lesson is simple, kiddies: Don't do drugs.
 
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overoceans

Africa really is the one place that puts the kibosh on that whole Cold War "Oh yeah? Well, your side is worse!" routine. You can find examples of both the West and the Communists supporting the absolute most repulsive dictatorships imaginable.

The exceptions were guys like Nyerere and Kaunda, who, perhaps not coincidentally, tended to be the ones attempting to steer a middle way between the global power blocs. (And, of course, Botswana, which unlike Tanzania and Zambia was, and still is, a functioning multiparty democracy.)
 

Fulano

SealTheRealDeal said:
Who takes his place as first leader post-independence? The local Francoist who was the runner up or the Pan-Africanist who endorsed Macias during the run-off?
Click to expand...
Any chance for any of them to being a Lee Kuan Yew-like figure? I know the logistics and geographical situation are completely different, but I have always thought the country could have been the Singapore of Africa if things went a bit better for them in their first years. The country is small and underpopulated enough to be centralized and managed easily, and a figure like him probably would have managed to create some sense of nationality instead of the tribalist issues the young African countries usually have suffered under the years after their independence.
 

ahmedali

Banned
Honestly, I feel bad for saying this, but if Equatorial Guinea didn't exist, it would be better

He made Fernando Po Island Nigerian and the rest of Equatorial Guinea part of Gabon better

It will benefit Nigeria that the balance of Christians and Muslims is not disturbed, and therefore there is no civil war

Also, the Bongo-Raam bloodline of their corruption is better than the madness of Negima

Or remain spainsh
 
SealTheRealDeal

SealTheRealDeal

Fulano said:
Any chance for any of them to being a Lee Kuan Yew-like figure?
Click to expand...
We don't know, they both died. That said I think the Francoist is more likely to opt for a Singapore style "capitalist playground for international investors, police welfare state for everyone else" than the Pan-African candidate.
 
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stodge

Thinking this through, if Macias is killed before he can consolidate his rule perhaps two or three months after the 1968 election, his opponents in that election, Edu and Nbongo might have battled for power,

Their two parties had each won 10 seats in the National Assembly election which had taken place with the Presidential election while Macias's party had won eight. Edu was the incumbent Prime Minister but Ndongo was a popular figure in the country and had won 20% in the Presidential election first round.

Without Macias, the leadership of the Popular Idea might have splintered between the nationalist and Marxist wings.

Let's say Macias is overthrown at the end of 1968 and perhaps the Army puts Edu in as Acting President pending new elections. It's possible, had he followed his strongly nationalist line, he'd have faced a Marxist insurgency led perhaps by Popular Idea (or something similar). That insurgency might in time have drawn in Cameroon and other powers and become just another proxy conflict in the Cold War.
 

marktaha

Banned
overoceans said:
Africa really is the one place that puts the kibosh on that whole Cold War "Oh yeah? Well, your side is worse!" routine. You can find examples of both the West and the Communists supporting the absolute most repulsive dictatorships imaginable.

The exceptions were guys like Nyerere and Kaunda, who, perhaps not coincidentally, tended to be the ones attempting to steer a middle way between the global power blocs. (And, of course, Botswana, which unlike Tanzania and Zambia was, and still is, a functioning multiparty democracy.)
Click to expand...
Nyerere- darling of Western Progressives.Dictator of one party state and Marxist crank .
I didn't like him!
 
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