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By : Adrian J. Alpendre, LL.D., Ph.D.
USA

(Message to my fellow US citizens)

Togo has known throughout its tormented history two types of colonization, i.e. the German and the French one. Many readers might ignore that the Republic of Togo was one of the first African countries to demand its independence from France.

After accedening to its independence in 1960, Togo fell under the despotic rule of the military class from January 1963 on. Then, the first military coup in the tortuous history of Black Africa took place. It is to be remembered that Togo's first and lamented president Sylvanus Olympio was the victim of a military coup and killed within the precincts of the United States embassy by Gnassinbbe Eyadema (the coup plotter) himself...

From 1963 until the decade of the Eighties, Togo was under a military regime presided over by Gnassingbe Eyadema. It was clearly and evidently a regime based upon terror tactics. Under it, there was no civil or personal liberty to begin with...arbitrary arrests, nepotism, corruption, cult of the personality and other evils were characteristic of the regime. Unfortunately (and as it has been the case with all the former French colonies), the Eyadema despotic regime benefited from its inception from the active support of all French governments, even those that identified themselves as "Left winged and progressive"...

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, following the freedom way that for a while and without the expected results captured the imagination of humanity at large, the Eyadema regime was challenged by the Togolese people who wanted to have access to real democracy. After paying a blood price (some hundreds of victims, for example, the twenty-seven dead whose corpses were found floating in a lake at Lome), there was a National Sovereign Convention gathered at Lome, Togo's capital, in 1991, which decided to open the doors to true and verifiable democracy in Togo. The Convention elected a prime minister as chief of government, while Eyadema remained as president, i.e. chief of state. Many Togolese citizens who remember that moment still talk about it as a unique and unforgettable experience whose remembrance brings tears to their eyes.

Nevertheless, all along this political process Eyadema and his stooges have tried to impede it. Thus, in December 3rd. 1991 the whole world was astonished at the news that the prime minister (Joseph Kokou Koffigoh), elected by the National Sovereign Convention, was the victim of yet another military coup and subsequently arrested following Eyadema's instructions. Prime Minister Koffigoh appealed to the French (so called Socialist) government by virtue of a mutual defense agreement between both countries. The French government, to its eternal shame, did not heed this appeal to save Togo's incipient democracy. If the abused term 'barbarian' has to be used properly, it could be applied to the Eyadema regime. Let us remind our readers that in 1993,when the European Union decided to send a mission presided over by the French and German Ministers of International Cooperation, in order to help Togo emerge from its situation of permanent and institutional crisis, a massacre was staged by the regime at the Jardin Freau whose toll was more than three hundred dead. Since that tragic occasion, the countries integrationg the European Union (with the shameful exception of France) decide to interrupt all sort of cooperation with Togo.

It is really impossible to refer all the horrors, humiliations, and acts of despotism of which the Togolese people have been a victim during these fifty years. And yet, throughout this tragic chapter in their history, the Togolese people have tried to achieve democracy through peaceful and non violent means. Today, the Togolese people are tried, tortured and experiencing a feeling of less than bening neglect from the other countries integrating the international community.

Togo is today one of the poorest countries in the world. Togo's economy is essentially based on agriculture and the exportation of phosphates; therefore, it finds itself in a shambles. There is a scarcity of virtually everything in that African country. Hospitals are in a deplorable state. The University is totally unfunctional. Even worse, Togolese 'intelligentsia' as well as many youth have left the country to live in Europe or in these United States of America. In that chaotic context, the unexpected death of Eyadema last February (unfortunately or perhaps fortunately) was seen by the majority of the Togolese as a relief. Sadly, hope did not last for a long time. The Togolese army (ignoring all laws and even Togo's constitution) decided to impose as chief of state Eyadema's sob, Faure Gnassingbe, with the not so tacit approval of Jacques Chirac's France. Our readers should know that Jacques Chirac had identified the unlamented dictator Eyadema Gnassingbe "his personal friend". Thanks to the pressures of the progressive sectors of the international community, Faure Gnassingbe was forced to quit an usurped power that he has reacquired, after the massive fraud perpetrated against the will of the Togolese, on April 24th 2005 and again with the active and criminal participation of the Togolese armed forces. Today, May 3rd. 2005, it has been asserted that the popular action against this fraud has already caused more than one hundred victims in Togo and has been the cause of an exodus of about twenty thousand refugees to the neighboring countries of Benin and Ghana.

All political analysts worth the name are in agreement that this dilemma is jeopardizing the peace in the region and could bring about the reality of war once more to the African continent.

I bring these comments to an end by asking the readers: How long is it possible to keep silent? How many Togolese will have to die before there is a reaction by the international community that goes beyond empty words of condemnation?... I conclude by bring to your conscience the words of the great Cuban patriot and promoter of Pan American union, Jose Marti: "An affront to the dignity of anyone becomes an insult to the dignity of everyone".

USA, May 4, 2005
Adrian J. Alpendre, LL.D., Ph.D. Adrian_alpendre@yahoo.com

Acknowledgement: I thank Mr. Kossi Assogbavi for his scholarly research that made possible for me to write this essay. AJA.
Nota Bene: For further witness of the Togolese reality, visit www.assassinstogo.com

Like many Togolese who are part of the diaspora I escaped Togo back in the early 1990’s. It is hard to fathom what exactly has being going on in Togo over the last 45 years.

When you look around the globe every oppressive government or dictatorship has had some form of opposition against it yet when we look at Togo there is no opposition.

I visit the many Internet sites daily were Togolese citizens living inside and outside of Togo gather to talk about Togo. On these websites I have come to notice that a growing number of people call for civil conflict to remove the Gnassingbe’s yet when prompted no one volunteers to actually take up arms. Im not advocating Civil conflict as such as I am greatfull that unlike other Africa states Togo has been peacefull and saved from the ravages of Civil wars but this brings to light my point that the Togolese citizens aren’t ready to help themselves.

On the day that Eyadema’s death was announced myself living in Europe wasn’t able to feel the atmosphere of the Togolese back at home but like all Togolese I had hoped for change and day dreamed alittle that things would change. Then I realized that the current crop of political leaders are both old age pensioners aswell as only wanting their turn in power.

I remember from back in the 1980’s where all the people I spoke to in Lome thought of Gilchrist Olympio as some sort of saviour and it baffles me that only know have the Togolese people realized that their “opposition “ figure heads are inept.

When you look at political opposition leaders in any other nation on this planet they all have several things in common . Firstly the “opposition” leaders challenge the nations leaders on the ground rather than from miles away in foreign countries. Opposition figure heads in other nations often try to improve things for their supporters and work tirelessly to up hold their ideals. Yet in Togo opposition figure heads live in Europe and feel they can change things from luxury homes in Europe.

The recent elections thus fraudulent proved that the Togolese opposition figure heads had no policies. The Togolese people themselves did their part in both going out to vote and marching on the streets.

Many people feel the Togolese have no “backbone” and do not stand up for themselves yet since the 1990’s the Togolese have gone onto the streets demanding change and even the recent 2005 elections they marched on the streets and each time they go onto the streets they know they risk being beaten, tortured and even killed. Personnaly All those people whom have marched and all those individuals whom have been protested only to be taken by Pro-Gnassingbe forces and later found dumped dead in rivers and the sea going my respect.

My question is when will we see opposition figure heads whom support their followers rather than abandon them as In the case of the recent post election violence which saw tens of thousands Togolese killed , tortured or escape to refugee camps only to be abandoned by the so called Opposition. Even now rather than have ideals Togolese politicians whom were part of the so called “opposition” rapidly join the Gnassingbe government when they are offered posts and the power and money they so badly crave.

The Togolese people had the best chance they could ever be given which was back in the early 1990’s at the time of the transitional government yet they wasted it and gave power back to Eyadema.

I only hope that thus their next chance of removing Eyadema will be a few years in coming I strongly hope they do not waste there next opportunity when it comes.

Uk, Europe 10th october 2005
Esinam Aboni

His Excellency President J.A. Kufuor
President of the Republic of Ghana
Accra-Ghana

His Excellency,

CONCERNS ABOUT THE INSTABILITY IN TOGO

The Council of Ewe Associations of North America (CEANA) is gravely concerned about the state of affairs in Togo and strongly condemns the abuse of the people of Togo and the actions of the authorities in that country, following the death of the ex-dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema. Their actions ignored one of the most pressing needs of the people of Togo and its neighbors: regional stability and peace. The situation in that country has created needless confusion and fear among its neighbors and the Togolese citizenry. As concerned compatriots and neighbors of Togo, we urge you to take a more proactive and bold step in ensuring that Togo does not degenerate into a civil war by upholding the rule of law and ensuring that a transparent democratic process is upheld.

During the reign of Gnassingbe Eyadema, Togolese were subjected to a repressive and an authoritarian rule characterized by disappearances and torture of dissidents and opposition voices were silenced, as evidenced in numerous human rights reports. In a practice characteristic of the Eyadema dynasty, following his death, his son sought to continue this repression as was manifest in the infamous seizure of power by Faure Gnassingbe and the terror that met sympathizers and indeed candidates of the opposition party throughout the campaign period leading to and after the elections of April 24, 2005.

While we commend ECOWAS and indeed the entire international community for their steadfastness in ensuring that constitutional succession was respected by demanding the end of the coup d’etat that enthroned the ex-dictator’s son, we feel strongly that the regional body, failed to ensure that the speaker of parliament, the rightful person to succeed the late president, was sworn in. When Faure was pressurized to step down, the regional body did not finish the job of making sure the speaker of parliament as dictated by the constitution be sworn in. Instead ECOWAS accepted a puppet President to oversee elections. When elections were held, the regional body that was the main observer of the elections failed miserably in its monitoring of the elections. This failure is all the more amplified by reports of massive irregularities throughout the country that was flashed on TV screens across the globe. Pictures of armed pro-government forces looting, beating and stuffing ballot boxes were shown every where yet ECOWAS, which was funded by the European Union to observe the election saw a rather fair process.

This contradiction in ensuring the rule of constitutional law and in the monitoring of the elections reveals a deep flaw and strong test for the peer review mechanism. ECOWAS and the African Union present as a hallmark of their ability to move the region and the continent into the future. We fear that the job ECOWAS did was at best an appeasement of their peers and at worst, business as usual. Once again, due process is the loser.

The crisis of the moment must be managed, but as an organization representing all Ewes from Ghana, Togo and Benin, the ethnic group that is the base of opposition to the Eyadema kleptocracy, hence the most repressed, we fear that the trend of events may easily degenerate into tribal war if serious sanctions are not imposed on the RPT regime. For all the talk about government of national unity at a time when even such stable foreign establishments as the Institut Goethe are being burnt down with impunity, because Germany is perceived as sympathetic to the opposition, we fear that there is no end in sight. The ethnic strife in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast are very fresh in our collective memories and we fear that if no strong regional condemnation or diplomatic efforts are immediately dispatched to arrange a power sharing strategy, we may find ourselves yet with another Rwanda on our hands.

It is in light of these concerns that CEANA would like your Excellency to regroup ECOWAS, the African Union and other stakeholders, particularly France to begin a process of discussions to restore peace and tranquility in the Republic of Togo.

As an organization that represents all Ewes, both in the Diaspora and at home, CEANA is genuinely concerned about the lives of all the people in the sub-region. We are struggling to preserve our endowments precisely because our vision of a better tomorrow encompasses not only a peaceful Togo where justice and fairness prevail but also a region where the lives of all will be preserved and protected. The level of discontent with the continuation of the Eyadema regime is evidently high and that the sooner power sharing arrangements are agreed upon, the better for the sub-region. We will measure success over generations.

We count on your cooperation

Long Live ECOWAS
Long Live Togo,
Long Live CEANA

USA, May 22, 2005
Gordon Sabblah. Executive Director, CEANA
Dr. Mark Kutame. President, CEANA