Severo Moto Nsá

Who is Severo Moto Nsá?

Severo Matías Moto Nsá, known as Severo Moto, is the most notable opposition politician in Equatorial Guinea, and leader of the Progress Party of Equatorial Guinea. He lives in Spain where he has established a government in exile, to the annoyance of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

Born at Acock in Rio Muni, Moto trained to become a Catholic priest. Under President Francisco Macías Nguema, he was a radio operator and newspaper editor during the 1970s, but he was eventually placed under house arrest and was not released until Obiang overthrew Macias in 1979. Obiang initially entrusted Moto with a series of important jobs: he represented Equatorial Guinea at the Non-Aligned Movement's summit in Havana in September 1979, he was appointed as Technical Director at the Ministry of Information and Tourism in 1980, and he was promoted to the post of Minister of Information and Tourism in 1981. However, Moto and President Obiang had a falling-out shortly thereafter, apparently due to disagreement over policy and Moto's preference for reforms to allow more openness; he fled Equatorial Guinea in December 1981 and settled in Spain, where he remained active as an opposition leader in exile.