Sawt Falasteen - Fresh paint, careful choreography as pope visits African prison

Shouting "freedom" in the pouring tropical rain, hundreds of inmates jumped in unison in the courtyard of the prison as they greeted the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Dressed in bright orange or khaki-green uniforms, around 600 inmates lined up. The men, and around 30 women, all had their heads shaved. Some wore masks over their faces and plastic sandals on their feet.

In the Spanish-speaking country of close to two million, ruled with an iron fist since 1979 by Teodoro Obiang Nguema -- who has regularly been accused of rights abuses -- the US-born pontiff's visit offered officials a rare opportunity to burnish the image of a widely criticised prison system.

The carefully crafted red carpet reception for the papal visit was in sharp contrast to criticism of detention conditions.

In a 2023 report, the US State Department documented cases of torture, extreme overcrowding and deplorable sanitary conditions in Equatorial Guinea's prisons.

At the entrance, facing a tower encircled by a metal walkway where two guards stood watch, Justice Minister Reginaldo Biyogo Mba spoke to journalists, praising conditions at the facility.

Interviews with prisoners were forbidden.

- 'You are not alone' -

As Pope Leo arrived, rhythmic music blared from loudspeakers with inmates breaking into song and dance under the stern gaze of prison officers.

Without warning, a deluge began.

"Rain is a sign of God's blessing," the pope declared in Spanish, prompting raucous cheers and applause.

"The administration of justice aims to protect society," the US-born pontiff, 70, told detainees.

"To be effective, however, it must always promote the dignity of every person."

Leo's comments, although delivered diplomatically, represented an open critique unheard of in a country accused of stifling freedom of expression.

Pope Leo was on the 10th day of his African tour, following a hectic schedule that began on Wednesday with a mass in Mongomo, near the border with Gabon.

During the service, with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in the congregation, the Catholic leader called for "greater room for freedom" and human dignity to be safeguarded.

Official figures on the prison population in Equatorial Guinea are scarce and often out of date.

"Hundreds of prisoners end up locked away for years on end, with no way of receiving visits from their lawyers and families," Amnesty International said in a 2021 report on their website.

"Their relatives do not know whether they are alive or dead."

A.AlHaj--SF-PST