TOGO: THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE MARCH THROUGH LOME TO PROTEST AGAINST NEW LEADER WHILE THOUSANDS OF GNASSINGBE SUPPORTERS GATHER AT PRESIDENT'S RESIDENCE

Record ID: 648216

  • Title: TOGO: THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE MARCH THROUGH LOME TO PROTEST AGAINST NEW LEADER WHILE THOUSANDS OF GNASSINGBE SUPPORTERS GATHER AT PRESIDENT'S RESIDENCE
  • Date: 19th February 2005
  • Summary: (W3) BE DISTRICT, LOME, TOGO (FEBRUARY 19, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF PROTESTERS IN STREET OF LOME (BE DISTRICT) 0.04 2. PROTESTER WITH BANNER READING: "France, you will never impose us any president." 0.07 3. PROTESTERS RUNNING HOLDING TOGO FLAG AND BANNERS 0.12 4. WS/SCU: PROTESTERS CHANTING/ HOLDING BANNER (2 SHOTS) 0.20 5. SOUNBITE (French ) SECRETARY-GENERAL OF MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY UNION FOR FORCES OF CHANGE (UFC) JEAN-PIERRE FABRE SAYING: "Our only weapon is people demonstration and we rely on it to force the regime to step back and to make them (regime) go." 0.27 6. CU: PROTESTERS WITH BANNERS 0.31 7. OLD WOMAN ENCOURAGING PROTESTERS 0.35 8. PROTESTERS CHANTING HOLDING TOGO FLAG 0.39 9. PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH POLICE CAR AND POLICEMEN IN FOREGROUND 0.44 10. HEADS OF OPPOSITION PARTIES LEADING MARCH 0.48 11. WIDE OF PROTESTERS MARCHING 0.54 12. WS: RTP (RULING PARTY) SUPPORTERS GATHERED IN TOGO'S PRESIDENT'S RESIDENCE 0.57 13. BACK VIEW OF CROWD FACING TOGO'S PRESIDENT FAURE GNASSINGBE ON BALCONY 1.00 14. SOUNDBITE (French) UNIDENTIFIED RTP SUPPORTER READING STATEMENT TO GNASSINGBE, SAYING: "We will go to the elections, and you will be our candidate." 1.07 15. CROWD APPLAUDING 1.10 16. CU: GNASSINGBE ADDRESSING TO SUPPORTERS FROM BALCONY 1.16 17. CROWD CHEERING AND APPLAUDING 1.18 18. GNASSINGBE WAVING AT CROWD FROM BALCONY 1.21 19. HAS: CROWD LEAVING RESIDENCY 1.24 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th March 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOME, TOGO
  • Country: Togo
  • Reuters ID: LVAEDZY1K3U58QBXSV5GIF1WKPU1
  • Story Text: Thousands protest against new leader in Togo and
    thousands of Gnassingbe suppporters gathered at the
    president's residence.


    Thousands of Togolese marched through the capital
    Lome on Saturday (February 19) in protest at the way the
    army installed a son of the late president as leader on his
    father's death two weeks ago.

    Faure Gnassingbe promised a presidential election
    within two months but, in a televised speech on Friday, the
    39-year-old son of Africa's longest ruling leader had
    indicated he would not step aside before then, despite
    protests at home and abroad.

    Groups of young men, many carrying placards with
    protest messages scribbled in chalk, poured up the side
    streets onto one the main avenues in the Be district, an
    opposition stronghold where four demonstrators were killed
    in clashes a week ago.

    Journalists and diplomats estimated that at least
    10,000 people were marching.

    Some chanted slogans against the French government,
    accusing the former colonial power of meddling in Togo's
    affairs.

    Opposition parties called their demonstration to
    protest at the army's naming of Gnassingbe as president of
    the small West African state just hours after his father,
    Gnassingbe Eyadema, died on Feb. 5 after 38 years in power.

    The constitution and electoral code were amended
    shortly afterwards to legitimise the move. African and
    world leaders denounced the succession as a coup and
    demanded a return to the original constitution and a
    presidential election.

    Saturday's protest took place after the government
    lifted a ban on demonstrations.

    An Interior Ministry statement charged that foreign
    activists planned to infiltrate the protest to provoke
    riots.

    In the meantime thousands of young Gnassingbe supporters
    from the ruling party gathered separately on Saturday at
    the president's residence and said they would support
    Gnassingbe in the polls.

    "We will go to the elections, and you will be our
    candidate," said a RTP supporter.

    Nigeria said on Saturday that West African nations would
    impose sanctions on Togo, despite a pledge of elections
    from the new president, who was also under pressure at home
    as thousands took to the streets to demand he step down.

    Regional officials said that he did not go far enough
    and Nigeria, which has led African outrage at the
    succession, said the Economic Community of West African
    States (ECOWAS) would impose "full sanctions" on Togo.

    President Olusegun Obasanjo's spokeswoman Remi Oyo said
    the president had told a high-level Togolese delegation
    visiting Nigeria that he would not endorse Togo's decision
    to leave Gnassingbe as president until elections.


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