Crime in Equatorial Guinea

Petty theft occurs throughout Equatorial Guinea. Robbery, mugging, home invasion, carjacking and armed robbery are also reported, with higher practical risk at night and on poorly lit or isolated roads, particularly around Malabo and Bata. Taxi-related robberies and violent assaults have been reported in both cities. Sexual violence, including rape, and domestic violence are illegal, but enforcement is described as ineffective. Dating-app meetings can expose people to robbery or physical assault when strangers move the meeting to an isolated place. Fraud includes financial scams, false job offers, inheritance schemes, romance scams and internet fraud. Drug offences can lead to severe sanctions. No recent terrorist attack history is documented, but the absence of recent attacks does not make the residual risk zero. The Policía Nacional and Gendarmería are the main security bodies encountered by the public. The Ministerio de Seguridad Nacional is responsible for public security and criminal investigations, while the Fiscalía General de la República, the public prosecutor's office, handles criminal prosecution. Security checkpoints are common across the country. Reports describe demands for bribes, extortion, arbitrary detention and mistreatment, and public trust and accountability are low. Police presence and response cannot be assumed to be equally available outside Malabo and Bata. Bioko and Río Muni should not be treated as identical risk environments, and there is not enough reliable local crime data to make detailed claims about Annobón or other remote areas. In an emergency, published telephone options include 113 or 114 according to the U.S. Department of State, although these numbers are often reported as non-functional. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office lists 666 404040 and 666 303030 as alternative police numbers. Reachability remains regionally unreliable, and emergency assistance outside Malabo is more limited. A report is generally made to the local police. A foreign national may face a police-report fee of about CFA 10,000, but this amount is not officially published and local fee practices are unclear. Transport, medical treatment and possible evacuation can create additional private costs. Criminal proceedings may be lengthy and complicated. For sexual violence, reporting before leaving the country is especially relevant because later evidence collection and access to local procedures may be more difficult. Keep a passport, residence permit or copy available at checkpoints. Stay calm and avoid confrontation with security personnel; refusing to follow a checkpoint instruction can create a risk of arrest or detention. Do not resist a robbery physically. At night, avoid walking or driving alone on isolated or poorly lit roads, keep jewellery, watches and large amounts of cash out of sight, and use extra care at banks and ATMs. Open a hotel or residence door only to someone known or expected. Arrange taxis in advance through a hotel, event organiser or a trusted application, and avoid accepting unknown passengers or joining unfamiliar groups, especially at night in Bata. Do not photograph government or military facilities or airports. For a dating-app meeting, use a public place, complete a video call beforehand, share the location with a trusted contact, keep control of drinks and do not move to an isolated private location. Tell a trusted person the planned journey and expected return time. If a crime occurs, preserve digital evidence such as messages, account details, payment records and photographs, and do not delete original chats. Avoid publishing private data, identities or insulting or threatening material while seeking help. Equatorial Guinea has no evidenced nationwide central service for all crime victims. MINASIGE, the Ministerio de Igualdad de Género, Asuntos Sociales y Artesanía, and its delegations are developing a documented service chain for gender-based-violence survivors. UNFPA work has mapped gender-based-violence support services and examined barriers to reporting, but access remains fragmented. State shelters for women and trafficking victims are under development or their operating status is not reliably documented. Two NGOs are reported to provide shelter or care for adult and minor trafficking victims, while psychological services remain limited. A general state compensation office has not been evidenced. Consular assistance is available only through the relevant foreign state for its own nationals and does not replace local reporting or medical care. Trafficking affects children, undocumented migrants, foreign workers and people exposed to exploitation in market work, sex work, domestic work and construction. Equatorial Guinea was placed on the 2024 Tier 2 Watch List. Four potential cases involving eleven suspects were investigated, four accused people were prosecuted for the first time and three convictions were reported for the first time under the applicable law. Corruption, possible official complicity and weak identification of victims remain major risks. Reliable prevalence figures are not available, and vulnerable people are not consistently identified proactively. An anonymous anti-trafficking platform or hotline reported in 2025 was not functioning. Young people face risks linked to weak education and employment opportunities and drug misuse. Child protection, birth registration, youth justice and prevention of violence and exploitation are still developing, with substantial gaps in data and services. No reliable nationwide youth emergency line or specialised way for victims to obtain help is documented. Operation Limpieza in 2022 illustrates the risk that punitive mass arrests and detention can replace preventive youth support. A young person or caregiver therefore may need to seek assistance through local police, health services, social services or an NGO, depending on the location and the type of harm. Digital crime has a formal legal framework under Ley Núm. 7/2024 of 23 December 2024, published by the government in 2026. The law addresses prevention, investigation and punishment of offences committed through information and communication technologies, including unauthorised access, system damage, computer fraud, identity theft, online harassment and violations of data or privacy. ANCIC is the national agency for cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. The Ministerio de Seguridad Nacional, Fiscalía General de la República, Ministerio de Defensa and the telecommunications authorities may have roles in cyber investigations. The law generally requires judicial authorisation for state cyber investigations, and it restricts social-media access by children under 14 without consent. Practical complaint and incident-response channels for private individuals are not clearly documented, so financial fraud, romance scams and account misuse should be reported promptly to the police and prosecutor while all original evidence is preserved.