Macías Nguema came to power in the former Spanish colony of Equatorial Guinea after free elections in 1968. Once in office he consolidated power in the hands of his clan and family, and all opposition was violently stamped upon. The pre-independence Prime Minister was imprisoned, starved and executed when Nguema came to power, and others “committed suicide” in prison.

Under Nguema fishing was banned and boats destroyed. The use of the word “intellectual” was outlawed, and everyone had to Africanize their names following the President’s example.

It is widely believed that the excessive cult of personality was fuelled by an over indulgence in bhang (marijuana) and other noxious substances, and he was given to taking some very strange and self-promoting titles such as “Unique miracle” and “Grand Master of Education, Science and culture”.

In 1971 the death penalty was prescribed as the punishment for threatening the President of Government. Insulting or offending the President or his cabinet was punishable by 30 years in prison. A year later he declared himself President for Life. Things got so bad that even his wife is said to have left the country in 1976.

A coup knocked Nguema off his perch in 1979, and he was captured in a forest on August 18 of that year. On the same day the Supreme Military Council opened a case against him and his cronies, the crimes alleged being embezzlement of public funds, genocide, mass murder, violation of human rights and treason. His defence included a speech outlining the good he had done for the country.

On 29 September 1979 Nguema was executed by a Moroccan firing squad at Black Beach prison, and he is compared today with the likes of Pol Pot, and goes down in history as one of Africa’s most corrupt, vicious and dictatorial post-colonial leaders. Some have referred to Equatorial Guinea under his rule as “The Dachau of Africa”.