Press Release Posté le 15:45 30-09-2024, modifié le 15:45 30-09-2024 par Tournons La Page
On Sunday 29 September, a meeting organised by the Dynamique pour la Majorité du Peuple (DMP) was held at the headquarters of the CDPA (Convention Démocratique des Peuples Africains) political party in Lomé, Togo. The aim of the event was to bring together various voices from civil society, including members of TLP-Togo, journalists, political party representatives and Togolese citizens, in a joint effort to debate democratic issues and fundamental freedoms. Among the distinguished participants was Guy Marius Sagna, Senegalese Member of Parliament for ECOWAS, who was in Lomé for a delocalised session of the ECOWAS Parliament.
In his speech, Guy Marius Sagna highlighted the many difficulties encountered in organising this meeting, in particular the cancellation of a room reservation in an attempt to derail it. Just as the ECOWAS deputy was about to introduce himself and claim Togolese citizenship, he called on the audience to rise and sing Togo's national anthem. Agroup of militiamen seated among the participants went on the rampage, causing panic. These individuals, visibly well co-ordinated, attacked the participants with chairs, fists and feet, plunging the meeting into chaos. All of this took place in the presence of the police, who were supposed to be providing security for the event, but failed to come to the aid of those attacked or to put the militiamen out of action.
The attackers also systematically destroyed the mobile phones and recording equipment of the journalists present, making it impossible to capture the events. Some of the equipment seized was thrown into a well in the school's courtyard, demonstrating the assailants' desire to erase all trace of their violent action. Guy Marius Sagna's phones were taken along with a satchel containing a large sum of money.
A number of people were injured in the attack, including Guy Marius Sagna himself and Brigitte Adjamagbo-Johnson, a Togolese political figure and Member of Parliament. Both were rushed to a nearby clinic for treatment. Other victims, including members of civil society, political party leaders and journalists, also required medical attention.
Despite the seriousness of the incident, there has as yet been no official reaction from the Togolese authorities. This silence raises serious concerns about the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of this violence, in a country where citizens are regularly repressed for their political opinions. The attack on members of parliament, not only from Togo but also from ECOWAS, demonstrates a climate of unrestrained terror and raises questions about respect for fundamental rights in this country. This attack mirrors what civil society organisations and opposition political parties have been suffering since 2018, systematically repressed and prevented from holding meetings.
Tournons La Page expresses its deepest indignation at the intrusion of militias into the Togolese political debate and strongly condemns these alarming excesses, which have occurred in an ECOWAS member state. These acts are a flagrant violation of the Togolese Constitution, national laws and regional and international conventions ratified by Togo. They represent an unacceptable attack on fundamental freedoms, in particular the freedoms of assembly and peaceful demonstration, guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Tournons La Page is calling for an urgent reaction from the international community, and particularly from regional bodies such as ECOWAS, to this exceptionally serious act, which highlights the colossal challenges facing the defenders of democracy in Togo. The silence of the authorities could be seen as a tacit endorsement of this violence, exacerbating insecurity and fear among citizens and human rights defenders.
Tournons La Page demands that :
- the Togolese government take immediate steps to guarantee individual freedoms and the rights of civil society organisations, which are essential to strengthening democracy;
- the political, judicial and police authorities launch a thorough investigation into these repressive methods, which are contrary to democratic principles;
- those responsible for and behind these acts of violence be prosecuted and brought to justice to answer for their crimes;
Tournons La Page also expresses its solidarity with MP Guy Marius Sagna and the members of Tournons La Page Togo, and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. The organisation reiterates the importance of respecting parliamentary immunity and calls for the security rights of MPs and members of civil society to be scrupulously guaranteed.
Tournons La Page
