Togo: Emmanuel Macron receives Faure Gnassingbé to discuss economy and jihadist threat
The French Head of State Emmanuel Macron received his Togolese counterpart Faure Gnassingbé at the Elysee Palace for a working lunch on April 9, 2021. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN
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Faure Gnassingbé, President of Togo since 2005, was received this Friday, April 9, at the Elysee Palace for a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron.
A reception criticized by the civil society movement, Togo Debout while Amnesty International denounced last December a "
growing repression of opponents
" in the country.
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This meeting between the two leaders as part of a visit started on Wednesday was placed, according to the Togolese presidency, under the sign of a revitalization of the relationship between Lomé and Paris.
"
Reinforced partnership
", "
reaffirmed commitment
", we welcome the Togolese side.
With two aspects highlighted after this working lunch at the Élysée, firstly the economy and progress concerning the purchase of solar street lights, the electrification of around fifty Togolese medium-sized towns or even the sharing of expertise,
Then, the convergence of views on the jihadist threat in the Sahel.
The Togolese contingent of the UN mission in Mali has 1,100 soldiers.
And Lomé organized the first meeting of the monitoring and support group for the Malian transition on March 8.
A close friend of Faure Gnassingbé affirms that the two heads of state are on the same wavelength: the international community must remain mobilized and support the countries of the sub-region.
He adds that being mobilized also means making the necessary resources available to countries fighting against terrorism.
As for political tensions in Togo?
For Minister Gilbert Bawara, “
when subjects as important as development or peace are on the table, I do not believe that two heads of state start talking about eminently domestic issues.
"
We also reiterated our common commitment on regional issues to fight terrorism and support the transition to #Mali.
FEG pic.twitter.com/tHk2NZSZCw
- Faure E. Gnassingbe (@FEGnassingbe) April 9, 2021
It's a bad message because of the context in Togo, the pressure on the opposition.
It is a reception that does not send a good message for the defenders of democracy in Africa.
Laurent Duarte, coordinator of the citizen movement "Tournons La Page"
Amelia Tulet
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