Ciudad de la Paz

Geography

Location

Ciudad de la Paz is located near the centre of Río Muni, the continental part of Equatorial Guinea. It is located between the cities of Bata and Mongomo and 20 km from the airport of Mengomeyén. The power supply relies upon the 120 MW Djibloho Dam in the Djibloho Evinayong district.

Climate

Ciudad de la Paz has a tropical climate that borders between a tropical monsoon climate and a tropical savannah climate. It has high overall rainfall, averaging 2142 mm a year, which supports the lush rainforests in the region. There is an extensive wet season, spanning 10 months of the year from September to June, and a brief and slightly cooler dry season covering the remaining two months, July and August. There is also a noticeably drier, though still wet, stretch in December and January. Temperatures remain very warm throughout the course of the year, albeit lower than one might expect in other places with the same climate, especially considering its proximity to the equator.

Planning and construction

In the middle of the undeveloped forest, the government planned to build a new city as the future seat of government. It would be the headquarters of the president, government, administration, police and military leadership and replace the then capital Malabo. The city was designed to house 160,000–200,000 people, living in an area of 81.5 km2.

A golf course, a university, a luxury hotel, and a six-lane highway were finished in 2013. Other buildings planned include government buildings, a financial district and residential areas. Three bridges and highways have been completed or are under construction. A connection between the city and the new airport in Mengomeyen was constructed.

Funding for construction was provided through AICEP Portugal Global. The plans came from a Portuguese architectural office. The construction work was supported by China, Poland, Brazil and North Korea. Construction faced delays such as, according to unconfirmed reports, President Obiang ordering a building to be moved because he did not like the view. Additionally, all materials are imported.

The city was officially declared the country's capital on 2 January 2026, with the president giving a one year deadline to transfer public services to the city.

Urban design

The city was designed by the Portuguese urban architecture FAT – Future Architecture Thinking. Estimates of its ultimate population size have been revised from 65,000 initially to between 160,000 and 200,000.

The city was built on an area of 8,150 hectares (81.5 km2 or 20,100 acres). According to FAT, the Djibloho project "combines modernity and respect for the cultural roots of the country, promoting local identity and the richness of the ecosystem in which it operates, prioritizing sustainability in the most varied aspects" stressing that "this project aims to create the first global capital entirely dependent on renewable and sustainable energy."

Progress

In 2021, a video sponsored by the China State Construction group, which is part of the building consortium, showed what appeared to be an overpass of completed, but not yet functioning, highways to Ciudad de la Paz, Bata, Mongomo and Mengomeyén airport. The video continued showing viewers around parts of the new city, where work on a six-storey cylindrical tower-building for the ministry of infrastructure remained partly built, and most other structures appeared far less advanced.

However, 2022 videos show two glass towers, the gateway to the campus of the Afro-American University of Central Africa, several administrative style buildings and the Grand Hotel Djibloho all appearing functionally complete. The 380-room hotel has a golf course, wellness centre and facilities for conferences as large as 1200 people, though its own website describes itself as being surrounded by tropical forest, which suggests that it is not in the heart of a city.

File:Dschungel bei Oyala.JPG|Forest File:Brückenbau in Oyala.JPG|Bridge on the scheduled presidential residence (2010) File:Autobahnbau in Oyala.JPG|Highway under construction (2010)

On 2 January 2026, a presidential decree by Obiang officially moved the nation's capital from Malabo to Ciudad de la Paz.

Participating companies

• Director of planning, roads, highways and urban network diagram: CSCEC, Vinci SA, Egis Route
• Perimeter Highway: ARG
• Bridges: Bouygues, Besix, Vinci SA, General Works
• Buildings: CSCEC, Piccini
• Universities: Unicon
• Regional parliament: Summa
• Presidential palace: Seguibat
• Ministry buildings: CSCEC

References

References

2. (17 January 2022). "En Guinée équatoriale, Ciudad de la Paz, luxueuse capitale inaboutie et déserte". Le Monde.fr.
6. (28 August 2013). "Oyala la futura capital de Guinea Ecuatorial".
7. (2 January 2026). "Decreto Ley por el que se declara la Ciudad de la Paz, Djibloho, capital de la República de Guinea Ecuatorial".
8. Fortin, Jacey. (19 December 2012). "Poverty-Stricken Equatorial Guinea Builds Expensive Capital City In The Middle Of Nowhere".
9. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120112084455/http://www.africa21digital.com/noticia.kmf?cod=12634524&canal=404 Empresas portuguesas planeiam nova capital da Guiné Equatorial]. africa21digital.com. 5 November 2011
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11. (3 August 2015). "Solemn inauguration of the new city of Djibloho". Equatorial Guinea Press and Information Office.
12. [http://www.archdaily.com/187398/djibloho-equatorial-guinea%E2%80%99s-future-capital-city-idf-ideias-do-futuro/ Djibloho – Equatorial Guinea's Future Capital City/IDF – Ideias do Futuro]
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15. (2012-12-14). "Equatorial Guinea: Obiang's future capital, Oyala". BBC News.
16. [http://www.abc.es/internacional/20121226/abci-oyala-nueva-capital-obiang-201212251815.html Oyala, una nueva capital para la megalomanía de Obiang]. abc.es. 26 December 2012
17. [http://www.piniweb.com.br/construcao/urbanismo/arquitetos-portugueses-projetam-nova-capital-para-guine-equatorial-240902-1.asp Arquitetos portugueses projetam nova capital para Guiné Equatorial] {{webarchive. link. (10 May 2013 . piniweb.com.br. 10 November 2011)
18. Mauricio Lima (4 November 2011) [http://www.greensavers.pt/2011/11/04/atelie-portugues-desenha-futura-capital-da-guine-equatorial/ Ateliê português desenha futura capital da Guiné Equatorial] {{Webarchive. link. (22 January 2012 . greensavers.pt.)
19. (8 February 2017). "Equatorial Guinea government moves to new city in rainforest". BBC.
20. link. (2 August 2019 . guineaecuatorialpress.com. 16 September 2010)
21. Stephen Sackur. (17 December 2012). "BBC News: Equatorial Guinea: Obiang's future capital, which was then known as Oyala". BBC News.
22. AFP. (2 December 2011). "Guinée équatoriale: grands travaux pour convert a village in métropole". Romandie News.
23. (11 February 2017). "El Gobierno de Guinea Ecuatorial se muda de Malabo a Oyala".
24. [https://electomania.es/oyala28m21/ CSCEC Video]
25. "Universidad Americana Del Africa Central".
26. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX7xIGqM5a4 2022 video of the city site]
27. [https://grandhoteldjibloho.com/ Hotel website]
28. Muriel Devey. (14 May 2012). "Guinée équatoriale – BTP: Oyala, la folie des grandeurs". jeuneafrique.com.