Francisco Macías Nguema

…substituted under the regime of Francisco Macías Nguema, but the original design was restored on August 21, 1979, after Nguema was overthrown.

Francisco Macías Nguema (ruled 1968–79), himself a Fang, harshly persecuted the Bubi people. Many Bubi, including accused separatists as well as most Bubi politicians, were killed in a campaign that some observers have called genocide. In 1998 antigovernment attacks on Bioko, allegedly carried out by…

The first president was Francisco Macías Nguema (also known as Macías Nguema Biyogo Masie). After his election in 1971, he assumed wide powers and pushed through a constitution that named him president for life in July 1972. He assumed absolute personal powers in 1973, and the island of Fernando…