Ghana Concerned About Togo’s Safety

The Minster of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, has said the government of Ghana is holding talks with Togolese officials following the political unrest in that country.

26 Togolese nationals were arrested in Ghana last Saturday, after they attempted to stage a mass protest in Accra, to draw attention to the political crisis in Togo.

They are expected to be arraigned today [Monday].

Speaking to Citi News, Ayorkor Botchway said the Ghanaian government is frantically engaging Togolese authorities to find a lasting solution to the heightened political situation in that country.

“Consultations are going on. We are talking [with them] because it is important. We are a stakeholder. Anything that happens in Togo has an effect on us. Anything that happens in Ghana will have an effect on Togo.”

She noted that “it is in our interest to make sure Togo is safe and Ghana is safe, and there is nothing negative going on in any of the two countries.”

Togolese crisis
Togo's opposition parties have been demanding a return to constitutional term limits for the Presidency, and also for President Faure Gnassingbe to step down.

Gnassingbe has been in power since 2005 after the death of his father, General Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled Togo for nearly 50 years.

The anti-Gnassingbe protests, that have seen hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets across the country, have resulted in over 15 people killed and scores injured.

Three new street marches have been announced for November 7, 8 and 9, despite the Togolese government's ban on weekday protests.

ECOWAS leaders bashed over seeming silence
ECOWAS leaders have been criticized for their seeming silence over the matter.

But Mrs. Botchway said “The other ECOWAS countries are all engaged to ensure that everything is okay in our sister country in terms of their politics and adhering to their constitution.”