Mediate Togo crises before it spills to Ghana – Okudzeto

President Akufo-Addo should mediate the political crises in Togo or Ghana will suffer the negative consequences of escalated tensions and violence that has gripped our neighbouring nation, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Okudzeto Ablakwa, has urged.

“It will be good for President Akufo-Addo to begin to engage with his colleague and if he can play some mediatory role between President Faure and the opposition parties,” Mr. Ablakwa said on Monday, August 21.

His comments follow anti-Gnassingbe protests in Togo’s capital, Lome, on Saturday, August 19 with others in Sokode in Togo, and Ghana’s capital Accra.

The demonstrators were demanding the country’s return to its 1992 Constitution which allowed multi-party democracy with a limited Presidential term of office. However, the clash between security officials and the protesters led to multiple deaths and scores of injuries.

For Mr. Ablakwa, it will be in Ghana’s interest to have peace in Togo. In view of that, he has proposed “engagements because they [Togolese] are our immediate neighbours and we will bear the brunt. Remember that in 2005 [there were] similar protests with a face off with authorities in Togo which led to at least 500 being killed and many people had to cross over into the Volta.”

He said it is the democratic right of citizens to protest or demonstrate and was unfortunate that it resulted in deaths.

“My initiate thoughts is that the situation is quite unfortunate,” he lamented in an interview with Joy FM.