TOGO: AFRICAN DELEGATION ARRIVES IN LOME TO SEEK END TO POLITICAL CRISIS OVER RMY BACKED LEADERSHIP WHICH HAS CAUSED RIOTS

Record ID: 472984

  • Title: TOGO: AFRICAN DELEGATION ARRIVES IN LOME TO SEEK END TO POLITICAL CRISIS OVER RMY BACKED LEADERSHIP WHICH HAS CAUSED RIOTS
  • Date: 15th February 2005
  • Summary: (W3) LOME, TOGO (FEBRUARY 15, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER'S PLANE ON TOKOIN AIRPORT'S TARMAC 0.09 2. VARIOUS OF FOREIGN MINISTER OF NIGER AICHATOU MINDAOUD AND NIGERIAN FOREIGN MINISTER OLUYEMI ADENIJI GETTING OF PLANE 0.13 3. SLV NIGER FM AND TOGO FOREIGN MINISTER, KOKOU TOZOUN, EMBRACING 0.16 4.
  • Embargoed: 2nd March 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOME, TOGO
  • City:
  • Country: Togo
  • Topics:
  • Reuters ID: LVA829V4FWPL82O8Z9GXTGBFVFSA
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: African team jets into Togo to urge end to crisis.



    ++EDITORS - RE-SENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT DETAILS++


    A team of African diplomats jetted into Togo on
    Tuesday (February 15), seeking to end a crisis over the
    country's leadership that has sparked deadly riots in the
    capital and drawn widespread international condemnation.

    Togo's army infuriated world leaders this month when it
    snubbed the constitution and named a new president
    following the death of Gnassingbe Eyadema, who had ruled
    Togo for 38 years to become Africa's longest-serving leader.

    African leaders want Togo to row back on its decision
    to appoint Eyadema's son Faure Gnassingbe as president
    without any elections and have threatened to ostracise the
    tiny West African nation if it does not take action.

    The foreign ministers of Niger and Nigeria, as well as
    the executive secretary of the Economic Community of West
    African States (ECOWAS), arrived in the coastal capital
    Lome around midday and headed straight to a hotel ahead of
    talks.

    They were due to meet with government ministers
    initially.

    An ECOWAS official at the talks said African leaders
    wanted Togo to respond as quickly as possible to their
    demands but said there was no firm deadline.

    The visit follows two days of unrest in Lome. At least
    four demonstrators have been killed in clashes with riot
    police in an opposition stronghold and another protest
    against Gnassingbe's appointment was due on Saturday.

    It was business as usual in Lome on Tuesday. The
    central market was bustling, taxi mopeds darted through the
    streets, stalls in the opposition neighbourhood of Be
    opened up and many of the makeshift barricades there had
    been removed.

    Tuesday's talks take place under an ECOWAS threat of
    swift sanctions if Togo does not reverse the handover of
    power, described by African and world leaders as a coup.

    Under the original constitution, the head of the
    national assembly should have taken over on Eyadema's
    death, pending elections in 60 days.

    Analysts say while African leaders have come down hard
    on Togo, they realise the former French colony's powerful
    army has a lot to lose following the death of Eyadema, a
    former soldier who seized power in coup and crushed any
    opposition.

    Some expect regional leaders to strike a compromise
    with Togo which should lead to presidential elections after
    a transition period, but which will not create a
    potentially dangerous power vacuum in the interim.



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