Wenceslao Mansogo Alo 1955-2022

The Socialist International mourns the loss of Dr. Wenceslao Mansogo Alo, a member of the leadership of the Convergence for Social Democracy, CPDS, the SI member party in Equatorial Guinea, responsible for International Relations and Human Rights, who sadly passed away on 25 April 2022 in Saint Etienne, France, while receiving medical treatment.

A medical doctor by profession, he was politically active since his youth and was a member of the CPDS since its foundation in 1990. In 2001 he was elected member of the National Executive Commission in charge of Human Rights and in 2013 became its Deputy Secretary General responsible for International Relations and Human Rights, a post he held until his death.

Wenceslao Mansogo was an untiring activist for democracy and human rights in his country, which has been under authoritarian rule since the military coup of 1979, and where the Obiang regime is internationally condemned for its continuous abuses of human rights, arbitrary detentions and killings, holding political prisoners in harsh conditions, and depriving the citizens of freedom of expression and movement.

In 2012 Wenceslao Mansogo was detained under false charges and sentenced to three years in prison in what was widely perceived as a politically motivated trial, provoking a strong reaction from international bodies, including the Socialist International, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The sentence was subsequently revoked and Mansogo was released 4 months later.

Over the years Wenceslao has participated in numerous Socialist International meetings worldwide and his presence and contributions will be widely missed. The global family of the Socialist International honours his memory and pays homage to his dedication to the causes that unite us. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends and comrades at this sad time.