THOUSANDS of protesters took to the streets of Lomé, capital of the little west African state of Togo, in mid-August and again on two occasions this month, in the hope of forcing President Faure Gnassingbé to reintroduce a two-term limit to his time in office. He is already in his third term, having taken the job in 2005 on the death of his father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who had ruled since 1967.
The demonstrators have been facing tear gas, water cannon and occasionally live fire. More than 60 were arrested and two killed in the August demonstration, according to Amnesty International. At least another 80 have been detained so far this month. The internet for mobile telephones was cut off for nearly a week. The protesters have yet to decide on their next move. They will probably take to the streets again.
After a disputed election in 2005 that brought Mr Gnassingbé to power, around 500 people are reckoned to have been killed. The government’s response...Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/2y0hIc0
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