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NEWS & LETTERS, March-April 2005Our Life and Times by Kevin A. Barry
Togo seeks democracy
The death of military dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema has
touched off a strong democratic movement in this small West African country.
Throughout February, mass demonstrations and strikes confronted the military,
which first tried to install the dictator’s son, Faure Gnassingbe, to fill out
his father’s term through 2008. That tactic failed, not only because of the demonstrations, in which three gave their lives, but because more powerful pressure was brought to bear on Togo by leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). After three weeks of internal protests and outside pressure from ECOWAS, Faure Gnassingbe resigned. The regime now promises a multiparty election. |
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