Kohne , Di k
Book Pa — Accep ed Manusc ip (Pos p in )
Togo - 2017
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Kohne , Di k (2018) : Togo - 2017, In: Abbink, Jon Elische , Sebas ian Melbe ,
Henning Mehle , And eas (Ed.): A ica Yea book Volume 14: Poli ics, Economy and Socie y Sou h o
he Saha a in 2017, B ill, Leiden
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Au ho ’s comp ehensi e e sion o : Kohne , D. (2018): Togo. In: Melbe /Mehle /Elische (eds.),
A ica Yea book. Vol. 14 – Poli ics, economy and socie y Sou h o he Saha a in 2017.
Leiden & Bos on: B ill, o hcoming
Togo – 2017
Di k Kohne
The demand o poli ical al e nance, ini ia ed by ins i u ional and elec o al e o ms,
cons i u ed he majo con en ious issue be ween he go e nmen and he challenge s o
he Gnassingbé egime h oughou he yea . Ci il socie y o ganiza ions and
ep esen a i es o he Ch is ian chu ch suppo ed he demands o he opposi ion. The
p o es o he no o ious di ided opposi ion ook a new momen um since Augus wi h he
lead by a hi he o ha dly known opposi ion pa y and i s cha isma ic leade , Tikpi
A chadam. He o ganized huge demons a ions o all he 14 opposi ion pa ies in he
second hal o he yea which pu he go e nmen p og essi ely unde p essu e. Fo eign
a ai s we e domina ed by he impac o inc eased aid by he in e na ional dono
communi y. Socio-economic de elopmen was ma ked by diminishing human
de elopmen and economic eedom.
Domes ic Poli ics
The con o e sy abou ins i u ional and elec o al e o ms in o de o ini ia e poli ical
change a e nea ly 50 yea s o ule o he Gnassingbé Regime con inued o domina e
domes ic poli ics. Righ a he s a o he yea P esiden Fau e Gnassingbé nomina ed
wo ad iso y bodies. On 3 d Janua y, he ins alled a na ional commission o e lec ion
on he ins i u ional and elec o al e o ms ha had been p oposed al eady i e yea s
be o e by he Na ional T u h and Reconcilia ion Commission (CVJR, 2012). The
e o ms had been demanded by he opposi ion and he in e na ional dono communi y
ime and again since se e al yea s. The p esiden o he commission o e lec ion, Mme.
Awa Nana Daboya, had al eady been designa ed wo yea s be o e (9. Janua y 2015),
whe eas he appoin men o he emaining membe s had been e a ded. The eigh
membe s nomina ed now included o me P ime Minis e Kwesi Ahoomey-Zunu, Adji
O e h Ayasso , ano he o me Cabine Minis e , he p esiden o he Uni e si y o
Lomé, P o . Dodzi Koko oko and o he pe sonali ies o public li e. All o hem we e
mo e o less associa ed wi h he Gnassingbé Regime, none o hem was close o he
opposi ion. The opposi ion ega ded his s ep as ano he a emp o M . Gnassingbé o
pu in o ques ion he comp omise on ins i u ional e o ms ha had been eached al eady
in 2006, media ed by he in e na ional dono communi y, wi hin he amewo k o he
Global Poli ical Acco d (APG). The e o e, i was no su p ise ha he p esiden o he
opposi ion coali ion CAP 2015 (Comba pou l’Al e nance Poli ique en 2015), B igi e
Adjamagbo-Johnson, objec ed o his commission o e lec ion. To molli y he
opposi ion and as con idence-building measu e, he go e nmen p omised one week
la e i s paymen s o compensa ion (abou 3.6 m. Eu o) o a oci ies o poli ical
iolence commi ed du ing he uphea als be ween 1958 and 2005 as p oposed by he
CVJR. The p omise was hono ed a he end o he yea (12. Decembe ) wi h epa a ions
o 137 ou o a o al o 2,475 ic ims iden i ied by he High Commission o
D. Kohne : Togo - 2017
2
Reconcilia ion (Hau -Commisa ia à la Reconcilia ion e au Ren o cemen de l’Uni é,
HCRRUN). Acco ding o his commission he inancial compensa ion would be only
one a enue o di e en compensa ion-op ions en isaged o he ic ims, like es i u ion
o p ope y, employmen gene a ion, g an ing o pe sonal libe y and o he human
igh s. On 6 Janua y, he Head o S a e nomina ed he se en membe s o he High
Au ho i y o comba co up ion. The agency i sel had been c ea ed by law al eady wo
yea s be o e in July 2015 wi hou being ope a ional. The pe sonali ies nomina ed we e
selec ed o a h ee yea s pe iod o o ice (one ime epea able). Again, he opposi ion
doub ed he neu ali y and independence o he chosen membe s as well as hei
capabili y o con ol co up ion e ec i ely. I suspec ed, he main eason behind his
exe cise was window d essing, based on he ambi ion o he go e nmen o gain
addi ional c edi in e na ionally o boos i s candidacy as eligible model coun y wi h
espec o he upcoming elec ions o he Millenium Challenge Accoun o he UN.
In esponse o he unyielding a i ude o he go e nmen and he inconclusi e
nego ia ions wi h he di ided opposi ion, o ces o he so-called ‘mode a e opposi ion’
c ea ed (9. Janua y) a new in o mal opposi ion coali ion composed o six smalle
opposi ion pa ies, o which only wo we e ep esen ed in pa liamen , i.e. ADDI
(Alliance o Democ a s o In eg al De elopmen ) and FDR (Democ a ic Fo ces o he
Republic, an elimina ion o he o me opposi ion pa y CAR). This in o mal coali ion
had no name no leade , i s p incipal aim was o p omo e poli ical e o ms, including
de olu ion o powe and he c ea ion o local au ho i ies. Appa en ly, i wan ed o
b idge he poli ical s alema e be ween he majo ‘ adical’ opposi ion coali ion CAP
2015 and he smalle ‘mode a e’ opposi ion coali ion A c-en-ciel (CAEC) on he one
side and he uling pa y UNIR (Union pou la Republique) on he o he . Howe e , his
exe cise was unsuccess ul oo. The admission o ano he new poli ical pa y, he A ican
Democ a ic Socialis s (DSA, Démoc a es Socialis es A icains) led by Ta gone Sambi i
in o CAP 2015 on 6 Feb ua y did no esul in a new d i e o poli ical change ei he ,
apa om he augmen a ion o CAP o now i e membe s: i.e. he ANC (Alliance
Na ionale pou le Changemen ), by a he bigges opposi ion pa y headed by J.P. Fab e
who was he o icial opposi ion leade , he CDPA (Con en ion démoc a ique des
peuples a icains) led by B igi e Adjamagbo-Johnson who was also he coo dina o o
CAP, he PSR (Pac e Socialis e pou le Renou eau), he UDS (Union pou la
démoc a ie e le p og ès social) and DSA. Howe e , six mon hs la e , in Augus , an
hi he o ha dly known opposi ion pa y, he Pa i Na ional Pana icain (PNP), ounded
in 2014, ho oughly shu led up he enc us ed domes ic poli ics in o ganizing huge
demons a ions o all he 14 opposi ion pa ies (CAP 2015, g oup o 6 ‘mode a e’
opposi ion pa ies (a c-en-ciel), CAR, PNP, San é du people). This was acili a ed by a
new app oach o poli ics o PNP’s cha isma ic leade , Tikpi A chadam, a o me s uden
leade a he Uni e si y o Lomé and 50 yea old lawye om p o ession, who
o igina ed om he Tem (Ko okoli) people o Kpa a ao, a illage 7 km om Sokodé,
Cen al Togo. His use o mode n echnics o di usion o his message, like Wha sApp as
well as DVD copies o his s ong speeches, dis ibu ed up o he mos emo e illages,
con ibu ed o his success. He mo i a ed he discon en ed wi h his ou spoken language
o come ou en masse and o demons a e o a speedy end o he au oc a ic eign o he
Gnassingbé dynas y. Big an i-go e nmen ma ches wi h o e 100,000 pa icipan s
(acco ding o amnes y in e na ional) in Lomé on 6 and 7 Sep embe a oused special
a en ion. This all he mo e since social ne wo k o ganiza ion had been sys ema ically
hinde ed by he go e nmen ha had blocked access o Wha sApp, mobile phone and
in e ne . The call o he uling Union pou la Republique (UNIR) o a coun e -
D. Kohne : Togo - 2017
3
demons a ion he same day a ac ed jus some housand pe sons e en hough some o
he suppo e s admi ed is à is RFI jou nalis s on he g ound ha hey had been paid
5,000 F CFA (7,50 €) each o pa icipa ing. Sho ly be o e, simul aneous an i-
go e nmen demons a ions in u ban cen e s o Lomé, A akpamé, Ka a, and Sokodé on
19 and 20 Augus had been iolen ly ep imanded by he secu i y o ces. The iolence
esul ed in a leas wo dea h, se e al inju ies and he con ic ion o 14 ou o 27
demons a o s, accused o ebellion, iolence and agg a a ed he , among hem he
gene al sec e a y o he PNP. Fu he big an i-go e nmen demons a ions we e o come
on 29. and 30. No embe and 2. Decembe . Apa om ha he opposi ion e used o
pa icipa e in a consul a i e o um aimed a ending he c isis which was o ganized by
he go e nmen in mid o Decembe .
Meanwhile, he go e nmen had con inued he p ocess o na ional econcilia ion
acco ding o i s own agenda. I o ganized a new delimi a ion o municipal bo de s and
wi h i o local cons i uencies. This was appa en ly deemed necessa y as p econdi ion
o winning he en isaged local elec ions which had been pos poned ime and again
since 1987. A he end o he yea local elec ions we e en isaged o June 2018,
oge he wi h he likewise pending gene al elec ions. On 23 June he pa liamen a y
majo i y o he uling pa y UNIR o ed a d a law on he c ea ion o 116
municipali ies. They we e di ided be ween he i e egions and 39 p e ec u es o he
coun y, including 14 new communes, whe eby each p e ec u e enclosed a leas wo
communes. The independen local elec ion commissions (CELI) and hei e i o ial
ju isdic ions had been educed by dec ee om 42 o 38. The opposi ion denounced he
me hod o delimi a ion as a ibalis ic exe cise which allegedly had he majo aim o
assu e he maximum o communes in a o o he Gnassingbé egime. Fo example, he
la e had c ea ed ela i ely mo e municipali ies in he spa sely popula ed No h,
conside ed o be he adi ional ie o he uling pa y, compa ed wi h he densely
popula ed Sou h, held o be he s onghold o he opposi ion. The opposi ional ANC
ecalled i s disillusioning expe ience o he 2007 legisla i e elec ions when he
opposi ion was de ea ed al hough i had gained by a he mos o es, i.e. 1,2 m, agains
0,9 m o he uling pa y. Howe e , due o he layou o he elec o al cons i uencies
(commune) in a o o he uling pa y al eady a ha ime, and he sea s in pa liamen
being dis ibu ed pe commune, he uling pa y had gained ne e heless a la ge
majo i y in pa liamen .
F om 3 o 9 July he go e nmen o ganized in addi ion na ionwide ‘pu i ica ion
ce emonies’. The la e made allusion o cus oma y eligious p ac ices in o de o
“exo cise he e il”, i.e. o appease he ic ims o g oss human igh s iola ions
commi ed in he pe iod 1958 o 2005. Al hough he ou big eligious en i ies (ca holic
and p o es an chu ch, Islam and odun) acknowledged he impo ance o such
symbolic ac s, he popula ion in gene al was li le imp essed. The e o e, li le la e he
chu ch ook sides wi h he opposi ion. On 18 Sep embe he Bishops Con e ence o
Togo u ged he go e nmen o ca y ou e o ms eques ed by he people in acco dance
wi h he 1992 Cons i u ion which had been e ised by la e Gene al Eyadéma in a o o
he Gnassingbé egime in 2002. The Episcopal Con e ence also denounced he wa e o
ep ession as well as “ he excessi e use o o ce agains ellow ci izens, some imes e en
in hei homes”. Las , bu no leas , i u ged he A my o adop a Republican a i ude o
poli ical neu ali y in acco dance wi h he Cons i u ion and ad ised he egime o e ain
om inci ing e hnic ha ed in he media and social ne wo ks. In iew o g owing
popula p essu e he UNIR majo i y in pa liamen adop ed one day la e (19 Sep embe )
D. Kohne : Togo - 2017
4
a law p oposal o he e iew o he 1992 Cons i u ion. Howe e , ha p oposal excluded
decisi e poin s o con en ion wi h he opposi ion on his poin such as he in oduc ion
o a e oac i e p esiden ial e m limi in o de o end he 50 yea s- ule o he
Gnassingbé egime immedia ely. Ye , he go e nmen majo i y did no ge he equi ed
quo um ( ou - i hs o he depu ies o he Na ional Assembly) because he opposi ion
boyco ed he o e. The e o e, he head o s a e had ecou se o a cons i u ional
e e endum on he law o be held on a no ye de e mined da e in 2018.
End o Oc obe (28. o 29.) he uling pa y UNIR held i s ini ial pa y cong ess a
Tsé ié (Ma i ime Region, 32 km no h o he capi al), he i s cong ess since i s making
in 2012. The majo aim o he con en ion was he enewal o pa y o gans and
pe sonnel, including women membe s and young Tu ks o he pa y. Thus, he o me
p e ec o Bli a (Cen al Region), Aklesso A chole, became execu i e sec e a y o he
pa y and was he ewi h admi ed o he inne powe ci cle o he egime. Mme
Mémouna ou Ib ahima, nicknamed ‘ he comba an e’, who had been minis e in a ious
cabine s o la e Eyadéma and his son Fau e, became ice-p esiden o he pa y. Two
younge pa y membe s, Malik Na chaba (councilo o he P esiden , 39 yea s) and
Mazamesso Assih (38 yea s), daugh e o he o me p esiden o he Na ional
Assembly, F. Na chaba, we e elec ed leade s o he young membe s o UNIR (MJU) in
ea ly Decembe . End o Ma ch, he go e nmen had al eady nomina ed Mme. Ing id
Asade, apos ophized Togo’s ‘I on Lady’, a close ollowe o Fau e Gnassingbé, as new
head o he na ional social secu i y und, he Caisse na ionale de sécu i é sociale
(CNSS), hus eplacing he powe ul Ko i Kadanga Walla. The opposi ion suspec ed
he eplacemen o be a s a egic maneu e in iew o he upcoming 2018 elec ions.
Allegedly, he CNSS had o en been used in he pas as co e ed wa ches o he
Gnassingbé clan o inance elec ion campaigns.
Human Righ s iola ions con inued o be a g ea conce n. In Janua y, ele en
Ghanaians we e sho dead and beheaded in No he n Togo nea he Benin-Togo bo de .
They we e belie ed o be ic ims o ‘mode n day sla e y’ om No he n Ghana who
we e e u ning home om Nige ia. Ghana was said o be a sou ce, ansi , and
des ina ion coun y o child en and women a icked o he pu poses o o ced labo
and comme cial sexual exploi a ion. Apa om ha , membe s a es o he UN Human
Righ s Council (OHCHR, Gene a) as well as amnes y in e na ional (ai) in i s annual
epo on Togo, published in Feb ua y, we e ala med abou con inuing impuni y,
excessi e iolence o police and genda me ie, a bi a y a es s, and es ic ion o
eedom o exp ession. On 28 Feb ua y, o example, he secu i y o ces dispe sed
demons a ions in Lomé agains he ise in pe ol p ices wi h li e ammuni ion, killing
one pe son and wounding se e al o he s. Acco ding o obse e s he p o es e s had been
peace ul un il he police cha ged hem wi h ba ons, ea gas and li e ammuni ion. On 18
Oc obe , ou people we e sho dead (one in Lomé and h ee in Sokodé), se e al inju ed
and abou six y a es ed in he cou se o iolen ly supp essed an i-go e nmen
demons a ions in Lomé and Sokodé. The demons a ions ook o he s ee al hough he
go e nmen had o bidden demons a ions on weekdays sho ly be o e, because o pas
expe ience wi h se e e impai men o a ic because o demons a o ’s iolence, a
decision which he opposi ion ega ded as an illegal es ic ion o i s basic igh s. The
demons a ions in Sokodé had been igge ed by he imp isonmen o an Imam close o
opposi ion leade Tikpi A chadam. The Imam had openly b and ma ked he iolence o
mili a y pe sonnel agains opponen s o he egime. Al eady be o e, on 20 Sep embe ,
one child had been sho and 25 inju ed du ing non-au ho ized demons a ions in Mango
D. Kohne : Togo - 2017
5
in he ex eme No h o he coun y. The amilies o he ic ims b ough cha ges a he
In e na ional C iminal Cou (ICC), he Hague, agains he esponsible a my
commande , gene al, Damehane Ya k, one o he old s alwa s o he Gnassingbé
egime, h ee days la e .
In ea ly Feb ua y (6.2.) he High Au ho i y o Audio isual and Communica ion
(HAAC) shu down a p i a e adio and a TV s a ion, Ci y FM and La Chaine du Fu u ,
bo h o he g oup Sud-Médias, o allegedly b eaching licensing ules. One day la e , a
jou nalis was se e ely bea en-up by he genda me ie and a es ed because he was
documen ing an e ic ion in Lomé. Sho ly la e , he gene al p osecu o wa ned anyone
epo ing his case o he isk o c iminal p osecu ion o dissemina ing alse news.
Ea ly June he HAAC suspended he newspape La Nou elle o one mon h o b each
o jou nalis e hics and wa ned jou nalis s o “shy away om publishing g uesome
s o ies and images”. The HAAC s a ue did no p o ide any appeal possibili ies o hese
decisions. Acco ding o ai, he c iminaliza ion o he media c ea ed a clima e o ea and
sel -censo ship and discou aged jou nalis s and he ci il socie y om c i icizing HR
abuses, no ably on subjec s such as co up ion, he a my, he P esiden , and he
P esiden ’s amily.
Inc easing enc oaching on in e ne media eedom, aken a ious o ms, anging
om sub ly inc easing egula o y powe s o e social media o wholesale in e ne
shu downs o hwa huge an i-go e nmen demons a ions in ea ly Sep embe ga e
eason o g owing conce n acco ding o he EIU democ acy index 2017 o Togo ha
anked Togo medias all in all as “un ee”. Go e nmen in e e ence wi h he in e ne
and mobile phones was o special conce n in iew o he g owing eliance on digi al
in o ma ion and communica ion echnologies (ITCs) in he con ex o pa icipa o y
de elopmen app oaches o in e na ional dono agencies. Acco ding o he la es da a
a ailable (2016) 75% o Togolese had a mobile-cellula subsc ip ion and 11.3% used
he in e ne , a pene a ion a e well below he A ican a e age o 27.7%. In June, he
F ench companies Téolis and GVATogo-Vi endi we e awa ded licenses as in e ne
se ice p o ide s in o de o imp o e he low pe o mance o Togo’s in e ne , and o
end he duopoly o he s a e-owned ope a o Togo Telecom and he p i a ely owned
Ca é In o ma ique,. A na ional b oadband in as uc u e had al eady been es ablished o
connec public buildings in Lomé and Ka a (No he n Togo) by a 250 km ib eop ic
ne wo k. A oh A cha Dedji, membe he di ec ion o UNIR and depu y o Tchamba, a
henchman o Fau e Gnassingbé, was nomina ed DG o Togocom, a new body o med
by he usion o Togo Télecom and Togocel a he end o he yea . I s p esiden was
ano he pa isan o he P esiden , Colonel Dokisime Gnama La a, a Kabyé and o me
minis e o secu i y in he cabine (2012). Thus, he con ol o elec onic communica ion
channels emained i mly in he hands o he secu oc a s o he egime. Ne e heless,
he Wo ld P ess F eedom Index 2017 o he global media wa chdog ‘Repo e s wi hou
Bo de s’ anked Togo 86. ou o 180 coun ies, i.e. an imp o emen by wo poin s
compa ed wi h pas yea (88, 2016).
Ha sh p ison condi ions emained a p oblem, no ably o e c owding wi h o e 4,200
p isone s in he 12 p isons o he coun y designed o hold 2,720. Conges ion o p isons
was mainly due o abno mal leng h o p e- ial cus ody. In May, 63.8% o p isone s
we e s ill wai ing o hei judgemen , se e al o hem o yea s, as he Na ional
Commission o Human Righ s (CNDH, Lomé) in collabo a ion wi h he minis y o
Jus ice e ealed on occasion o he A ican Day o p e- ial cus ody. Apa om his,
D. Kohne : Togo - 2017
6
he e p e ailed a gene al mis us on he pa o he gene al popula ion is à is he
Togolese jus ice sys em. Acco ding o a su ey (published in May) by he independen
Togolese NGO Cen e de Reche che e de Sondage d’Opinions (CROP, Lomé) in
conjunc ion wi h A oba ome e , only 37% o a ep esen a i e sample o in e iewed
admi ed o us he sys em. Addi ional 48% e oked p oblems o co up ion and he
long delay o cases.
All in all, Togo was s ill classi ied as ‘pa ly ee’ acco ding o F eedom House’s
o e all ‘F eedom in he Wo ld Ra ing – 2017’, he same as in 2016 (Agg ega e Sco e:
48/100), wi h poli ical igh s and ci il libe ies bo h sco ing 4/7 (1=Mos F ee, 7=Leas
F ee). In he global anking o he quali y o democ acy 2016, published by he
independen Democ acy Ranking Associa ion (Vienna) in Feb ua y, Togo s ill anked
nex o Nige ia among he coun ies wi h he lowes sco es wo ldwide ( ank 103 o 112
coun ies), al hough i coun ed among he 10 bes imp o e s in democ acy in
compa ison o he su ey pe iod 2014-2015 wi h 2011-2012. Economis In elligence
Uni 's EIU-2017 Democ acy Index anked Togo 142 ou o 167 coun ies wo ldwide,
down by en places om las yea bu conside ably highe han he coun y's anking in
he i s edi ion o he Democ acy Index, i.e. 164 h ( ank 1.75) in 2006. Wi h an o e all
sco e o 3.32, Togo is s ill classed as an "au ho i a ian" egime, like 22 o he o he 44
Sub Saha an A ican coun ies in he index, along wi h Zimbabwe and Guinea.
In he ‘Wo ld Da abase on Happiness - 2017’ (an index o subjec i e wellbeing),
Togo sco ed 3.9 poin s o 10 in a e age happiness o he e ue-pe iod (2016), a small
imp o emen o e he las e ue-pe iod (3.8, 2014). The UN Wo ld Happiness Repo
o 2017 anked Togo as one o he lowes coun ies wo ldwide ( ank 150 o 155
su eyed coun ies), ne e heless i was an imp o emen o change in happiness in he
mos ecen su ey pe iod (2014 - 2016) compa ed wi h he las pe iod (2005-2007) by
i e poin s. Ye , he s ill e y low sco es we e an indica o o he dep essed s a e o he
gene al eeling o he popula ion in iew o i s ain a emp s o e ec a change o powe
o e decades.
Fo eign A ai s
A he 51 h o dina y ECOWAS summi , held ea ly June in Libe ia o he i s ime since
30 yea s, he Togolese head o s a e was elec ed he new chai pe son (4 June) o one
yea . He eplaced Libe ia’s P esiden Ellen Johnson Si lea , who had been he i s
emale ECOWAS leade . The decision was hailed among o he s by Is ael’s P ime
Minis e Benjamin Ne anyahu, who was one o he speake s o he summi . This was he
i s isi o an Is aeli p ime minis e o Sub-Saha an A ica in 30 yea s. The enewed
Is aeli in e es was las , bu no leas , due o i s desi e o secu e A ica’s diploma ic
backing on Is ael- ela ed issues in in e na ional o ums such as he UN. In addi ion,
Is ael o e ed coope a ion in ques ions o coun e e o ism and economic de elopmen .
Among o he s, i signed a ou -yea US$1bn ea y o de elop g een ene gy p ojec s
ac oss he (ECOWAS). Du ing he ECOWAS summi Ne anyahu u ged Wes A ican
leade s o o e o an A ican-Is ael summi in Oc obe o be held in Lomé in o de o
in ensi y coope a ion. This summi , he i s e e , was mean o consolida e he
app ochemen be ween Is ael and a numbe o A ican s a es which had been made a
diploma ic p io i y o he Is aeli go e nmen . Togo had long s anding iendly ies wi h
Tel A i , no ably conce ning close coope a ion wi h Is ael’s secu i y se ices (Mossad)
D. Kohne : Togo - 2017
7
ha had p o ided sophis ica ed ad ice, ha d- and so wa e al eady since he eign o la e
Gene al Eyadéma. The la es ema kable p o ision had been in 2013, when Is ael
deli e ed lis ening and secu i y ma e ial o he une o mo e han 144 m €, i.e. abou he
double o he budge o Togolese’s a my. Togo coun ed also o he ew de eloping
coun ies ha o ed along wi h he USA agains he UN esolu ion condemning
P esiden T ump’s decision o ecognize Je usalem as he capi al o Is ael a he end o
he yea . Howe e , he e was a con o e sy abou he expediency o he Is ael-A ica
summi . I was ques ioned no only by he Togolese opposi ion in iew o he ac ual
poli ical domes ic c isis, bu also because o ese a ions o Magh eb A ica, Sou h
A ica and A ab s a es conce ning Is ael’s posi ion on he Pales ine ques ion. Some
Islamic A ican coun ies like Gabun, Nige , Mali, Mau i ania looked on he o icial
in usion o Is ael in o A ica as a p o oca ion and called o a boyco o he summi .
S ill in Sep embe , Senegal condemned Is ael’s c eeping colonisa ion o Pales ine
e i o y. Membe s a es o he OCI (O ganisa ion de la Con e ence Islamique), o which
Togo belonged al eady since 1997, u iously demanded ep isals agains Togo. The king
o Ma co, Mohammed VI had al eady boyco ed he ECOWAS summi in Mon o ia
because o he p esence o he Is aeli P ime Minis e . Fau e Gnassingbé, who had
isi ed Je usalem in Sep embe succeeded ne e heless o con ince mos his pai s o
held he A ica-Is ael summi . The con e ence ook place in Lomé om 24. o 26.
Oc obe , wi h abou 30 o 55 A ican s a es ep esen ed, among hem Rwanda, Kenya,
Uganda, Congo B azza ille, Came oon, Co e d’I oi e and Ghana.
In iew o he inc easing bloody iolence in Togo and i s possible epe cussions
on he whole sub- egion, Wes A ican leade s b oke inally hei silence on Togo’s
domes ic poli ics. On 25 Oc obe , he ECOWAS head o s a es, who we e ollowing a
mee ing in Nige , s essed he need o nego ia ions and condemned iolen ac ions by
he Togolese police agains opponen s o he egime while calling o sanc ions o any
pe pe a o o iolen ac ions. On he 52nd ECOWAS-summi in Abuja (Nige ia) in mid
o Decembe , which was dedica ed among o he s o discuss he secu i y c isis in
Guinea-Bissau and he poli ical c isis in Togo, he membe s elec ed i s new P esiden o
he Commissions (as dis inc om he Chai man). The p esen I o ian minis e o mines
Jean-Claude B ou eplaced Ma cel De Souza om Benin who was ma ied o one o he
sis e s o Fau e Gnassingbé, Naka Gnassingbé.
Ye , mos a emp s o media e in he Togolese c isis ailed because he media o s
p oposed by ECOWAS appa en ly we e no neu al. The i s e o by he UN special
ep esen a i e o Wes A ica, he Ghanaian Mohamed Ibn Chambas, was e used by
he opposi ion because he la e was appa en ly close o he Gnassingbé amily. Du ing
his enu e as gene al sec e a y o ECOWAS (2002-2009) Chambas was suspec ed o
ha e been one o he a chi ec s o he bloody and undemoc a ic en h oniza ion o Fau e
Gnassingbé as Togolese head o s a e and hei o his a he Eyadéma in 2005. The
Togolese opposi ion he e o e iled an ac ion agains Ibn Chambas a he UN E hics
O ice on 29 Sep embe . A simila mis us applied agains ano he media o , he
minis e o o eign a ai s o Nige , Mme. Aïcha ou Mindaoudou, who was mean o
lead a media ion mission o he OIF in Lomé om 10 o 13 Oc obe which howe e was
pos poned sine die. A hi d media ion e o o he p esiden o he AU, he Guinean
P esiden Alpha Condé mid o Oc obe in Lomé was pos poned as well in iew o he
bloody ep ession o an i-go e nmen demons a ions on 18. o 19. Oc obe . End o
Oc obe , Pa ice Talon, he P esiden o Benin, and he I o ian P esiden Alassane
Oua a a ied o media e in he Togolese c isis in ain oo. The Nige ia leade
D. Kohne : Togo - 2017
8
Muhammadu Buha i wa ned in No embe ha he poli ical ins abili y in Togo could
ha e egional consequences. Some mon h be o e, on 14 Ma ch, Buha i had signed a
ea y wi h neighbou ing go e nmen s o cons uc a highway linking he Nige ian
comme cial capi al Lagos wi h he I o ian capi al Abidjan ia Benin and Togo in o de
o acili a e in e na ional ade and exchange.
F ance, he o me colonial powe in Lomé, was conce ned abou he Togolese
c isis as well. End o No embe , P esiden Emmanuel Mac on called o eedom o
exp ession and o an elec o al amewo k ha would gua an ee ee and ai elec ions.
In May, F ance, he bigges supplie o a ms o Togo, had al eady been eluc an o
p oceed in he deli e y o i e F ench mili a y helicop e s ype Gazelle o Lomé in iew
o he poli ical c isis. A he same ime, he F anco-Togolese lawye , Pacôme
Adjou ou i, a o me classma e o Fau e Gnassingbé, was nomina ed special councillo
o he Togolese head o s a e in he ank o minis e . This happened despi e co up ion-
accusa ions agains Adjou ou i, in es iga ed by he F ench coun e -espionage DGSE
sho ly be o e. He was accused o ha ing acili a ed co up ion as go-be ween o hand
o e a ‘gi ’ (7.5 Mio €) o Fau e Gnassingbé o he han F ench p ime minis e Manuel
Valls du ing his o icial isi o Lomé in 2016, in o de o p omo e he la e ’s elec ion
campaign o he upcoming F ench p esiden ials in 2017.
The annual AGOA (A ican G ow h and Oppo uni y Ac ) o um, which had been
ini ia ed in 2000 o p omo e he ade be ween A ica and he USA, ook place in Lomé
om 8 h o 10 h Augus . The p ospec s o his deal we e gloomy in iew o he bea ish
a i ude o P esiden T ump is à is A ica and dec easing Ame ican impo s om
A ica in ecen yea s ( om 26.8 bn US § in 2014 o 18.7 bn US $ in 2025, i.e. – 30%),
mainly due o dec eased A ican oil expo s.
In con as , he EU app o ed disbu semen s o 16.5 bn US $ in budge a y aid o
Lomé in Feb ua y, which was complemen ed by a gene ous Ge man aid package o 60
m US $ (equally di ided be ween echnical and inancial coope a ion), signed du ing a
i e day isi (8 o 13 June) o he Togolese head o s a e o Be lin. This aid package
co esponded o a 50% inc ease in aid since he las go e nmen nego ia ions in 2014.
On 22 June, he EU, F ance and Ge many ag eed in Lomé o ha monise hei aid o
Togo which amoun ed o abou 715 m € in o al o he pe iod 2014 o 2020. The ewi h,
Eu ope emained he mos impo an pa ne o de elopmen coope a ion wi h Togo.
China, ano he in luen ial pa ne , p o ided o he cons uc ion o a mode n TV-
complex o he s a e- un Togolese ele ision (TVT) and Radio Lomé. The con o e sial
cons uc ion o he join Benin-Togolese Adja ala hyd opowe dam on he Mono i e
a he join bo de , con ac ed by he Chinese company Sinohyd o and inanced wi h
c edi s o he China Exim-bank by an amoun o 551.08 m US $, which had been s alled
in 2016 because o inancial p oblems, appa en ly con inued. I was mean o
signi ican ly inc easing elec ici y gene a ion by 147 megawa s. Howe e ,
en i onmen al, economic and social impac s on he local popula ion we e a conce n.
App oxima ely 21,000 people will be a ec ed on bo h sides o he bo de , including
12,000 people o 1,800 households in Togo. End o he yea (22.12.), he A DB
p o ided abou con e ed 11.4 m € unde he Ag ibusiness P omo ion Suppo P og am
(PAGAP) mean a. o. o imp o e condi ions o inclusi e g ow h, he de elopmen o
ag ibusiness, he educ ion o he ag icul u al ade de ici o m F CFA 64 bn o 30 bn,
