Chadian authorities have released Andres Esono Ondo, leader of Equatorial Guinea's Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS), following his arrest in April amid allegations of coup plotting, according to police and political allies.
Esono Ondo was detained on April 11 while attending a congress of Chad's National Union for Democracy and Renewal (UNDR). The Equatorial Guinean government accused him of seeking weapons and recruiting "terrorists" to overthrow President Teodoro Obiang Nguema using foreign funds. CPDS called the arrest a "groundless abduction" by Chadian authorities.
A police source told AFP that Esono Ondo was released and departed for Malabo via Douala, Cameroon, on Wednesday. UNDR president Saleh Kebazabo confirmed the release, stating the opposition figure chose to return home rather than face exile.
This follows previous false accusations against Esono Ondo in 2015, when he was wrongly implicated in a plot to bring an Ebola-infected individual into Equatorial Guinea during the Africa Cup of Nations. He was later freed after the allegations were debunked.
Obiang Nguema, Africa's longest-serving leader, has maintained power since 1979 through strict control, suppressing opposition and coup attempts. Recent tensions include the March 15 arrest of human rights activist Alfredo Okenve in Malabo.
Equatorial Guinea, Africa's top oil producer, faces widespread poverty and corruption despite its resources. It ranked 141st in the 2018 UN Human Development Index and 172nd in Transparency International's 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index.
