Neither Russia nor France: One West African country walks a diplomatic tightrope

2 comments

1. “One West African country” probably has a name worthy to be cited in the article’s title about them. Especially when the countries they try to emancipate from are cited in said title.

   Edit: It’s Togo for those who can’t open the link.

2. From the article. Authoritarian creep. In both senses of the word.

   >A constitutional change announced in 2024 and implemented this year transformed the presidency – which carries a term limit – into a purely ceremonial role and shifted all executive authority into the post of prime minister, now dubbed “president of the council” in a borrowing of Spanish and Italian terminology. **This latter post is subject to no term limit.**

   > **That allowed Gnassingbé to hand over the presidency to a low-profile regime stalwart and take on the new strong premier role, with little prospect of an end limit on his rule**, given the longstanding dominance of his political party, Union for the Republic (UNIR) in successive parliamentary elections.

   > **This was hugely controversial. But protest was rapidly snuffed out.**

   > **Individuals even peripherally connected to demonstrations are in *custody*. High-profile critics such as the rapper Aamron (real name Narcisse Essiwé Tchalla) or the former defence minister Marguerite Gnakadè – who was married to Gnassingbé’s late elder brother – have been *threatened with prosecution*. *Journalists say they have been intimidated*.**

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