Pope Leo XIV highlighted the dire living conditions in Equatorial Guinea’s prisons during his four-nation African tour, addressing roughly 100,000 worshippers on April 22 in Bata.
Public Condemnation
Before visiting inmates at a notorious facility, the pontiff remarked: “My thoughts go to the poorest, to families experiencing difficulty and to prisoners who are often forced to live in troubling, hygienic and sanitary conditions.” He stressed justice must uphold human dignity.
Prison Visit Message
Speaking to detainees in the courtyard amid rain, Leo offered hope: “You are not alone. Your families love you and are waiting for you. Many people outside these walls are praying for you.” The event spotlighted longstanding issues like overcrowding and poor sanitation in the oil-rich nation’s jails.
Tour Context
On day 10 of his April 13–23 visit—spanning Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea—Leo urged broader reforms for freedom and equality, a rare critique in the tightly controlled state.
When he left, the prisoners who had been drenched in the rain shouted “freedom”.
The Pope’s remarks come as he concludes a four-nation tour of Africa, with Equatorial Guinea marking his final stop.
After meeting the inmates, the Pope visited a memorial for victims of an explosion at a military base in 2021, which killed over 100 people and injured 600 others.
He then went on to address locals at the Bata stadium, where he spoke about “respect for the rights of every citizen, every family, every social group”.
According to Amnesty International, inmates in the facility are ‘reportedly routinely beaten as punishment’.
The organisation has also warned that numerous detainees ‘have neither been seen nor heard from, and their relatives do not know whether they are alive or dead’.
