Bonifacio Ondó Edu

Bonifacio Ondó Edú-Aguong (19 March 1922 – 5 March 1969) was an Equatoguinean politician who served as the Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea from 1964 to 1968 while it was still under Spanish colonial rule, as Spanish Guinea. He played a leading role in the country's independence, and led the National Unity Movement of Equatorial Guinea from 1959 until his death.

He took office when the country gained autonomy in 1964, and ran in the country's first presidential election in 1968, losing in the run-off. He handed power over to the newly elected president Francisco Macías Nguema on 12 October 1968 (the day of independence). He was imprisoned and officially committed suicide only a few months later. Another account says he returned in 1969 from exile in Gabon and was killed. a member of the Fang people, was born in either 1920 or 1922, (Sources disagree on his date and year of birth.) El Mundo says 1920 without specifying a date. The party had the support of the Gabonese government.

In August 1963, Spain's government invited all exiled Guineans to return and announced a referendum on a draft bill to give the territory autonomy, scheduled for December. This led to nationalist parties hastily realigning, as many could not agree on the autonomy question. That same year, Spain began allowing open political activity in Equatorial Guinea, which led to several new Equatoguinean political parties being formed. Ondó Edú returned from exile that year, and his UPLGE became the moderate ("National Unity Movement of Equatorial Guinea") in November. Ondó Edú and his party were seen as being a decisive factor in the success of the autonomy vote, which was rejected in the Fernando Po region but allowed to pass because of the large majority of Río Muni voters who sided with the "yes" campaign. office1 = Prime Minister name1a = Bonifacio Ondó Edú term1a = 1964 – 1968 office2 = Deputy Prime Minister name2a = Francisco Macías Nguema term2a = 1964 – 1968 office3 = Minister of Public Works name3a = Francisco Macías Nguema term3a = 1964 – 1968 office4 = Minister of Forests name4a = Rafael Nsue Nchama term4a = 1964 – 1966 along with Ondó Edú's deputy (or vice president), Francisco Macías Nguema of the political party Idea Popular de Guinea Ecuatorial (IPGE). The council included politicians from Spanish Guinea's various ethnic groups, including Fang, Bubi, and Ndowe people.

Ondó Edú (far left) in an audience with the dictator of Spain, Francisco Franco (far right) in June of 1964. The Spanish politician Luis Carrero Blanco (second from right) is also present.

In foreign policy, Ondó Edú established good relations with Gabon and its president Léon M'ba (also a Fang). He visited Libreville in May 1965, and was given a warm reception, being referred to as the "President of Equatorial Guinea" by the local press.

was for Equatorial Guinea was held beginning on 30 October. Ondó Edú co-chaired a 41-member Equatoguinean delegation at the conference. The first phase ended on 15 November due to complaints from Fernando Po separatists. The constitution was approved with 72,458 votes for and 40,197, or 64.32% for and 35.68% against. Ondó Edú had the support of then-Deputy Prime Minister of Spain Luis Carrero Blanco, the wider Spanish government, businessmen, the middle class, and various local ethnic groups. His official symbol was a gazelle. In the first round, held on 22 September 1968,

On 11 October 1968, Ondó Edú was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic by Minister of Information and Tourism Manuel Fraga on behalf of the Spanish government. On 12 October, Ondó Edu transferred power to president-elect Macías. Fraga signed Equatorial Guinea's Declaration of Independence later that day, officially making the country independent from Spanish rule. Equatorial Guinea became the 44th independent African nation. The new government was a coalition of the existing political groups, but Ondó Edú was excluded. Being returned to Santa Isabel, he was arrested, and according to the Equatoguinean government's official account, he committed suicide on March 5, 1969. According to Ibrahim K. Sundiata, he was imprisoned without trial, starved, and then killed in prison. Reportedly, the interior minister, Ángel Masié Ntutumu, was responsible for Ondó Edú's death sentence. His wife was also reportedly killed on Macías's orders the same year he was.

The historian Enrique N. Okenve views the support that Spain gave to Ondó Edú as a reward for his role in the success of the autonomy referendum. A hospital in Evinayong also shares Ondó Edú's name.