“More than yesterday and better than today”. This expression summarizes the strong popular mobilization recorded yesterday during the demonstration in Lomé. Unlike the first day when demonstrators were gathered in the lower St. Joseph to listen to the speeches, they decided to occupy Place Deckon until the departure of Faure Gnassingbé. In the evening, opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre made a statement in which the opposition demanded discussions on the departure of Faure Gnassingbé. </ Strong>
The demonstrations of the opposition were on the second day yesterday. The populations are still out massively, at the call of political parties and civil society organizations both in Lomé and in other cities of the interior. Epicenter of the movement of demands, Lomé experienced for this second day a greater mobilization. Thousands of people joined the demonstrators to inflate the masses. Despite the rain that hit the capital, departures took place at different points before midday. “What is happening today is not rain that will dissuade us from demonstrating to get what we want. We are determined and we will defeat, “assured a protester.
Henceforth, the demands were no longer confined to the return to the Constitution of 14 October 1992 and the voting of the diaspora. The protesters demanded the departure of Faure Gnassingbe’s power. To put pressure on the regime, they occupied the Boulevard of January 13 at the level of the Carrefour Deckon as well as the extension of the Avenue Maman N’danida until the Dove of the Peace. “We do not know what we will do in the depths of Saint Joseph. We were there yesterday (Wednesday, Editor’s note) and we do not know why to go. We are in Deckon and we will stay there until the departure of Faure Gnassingbé, “said another protester.
Stay at Deckon and spend several days there, even at the cost of their lives. It was the unanimous decision taken by the protesters, taking unawares the political leaders who were prevented from leading the mass to the announced place of the meeting. Jean-Pierre Fabre, Brigitte Adjamagbo-Johnson, Dodji Apévon, the leaders of the Pan-African National Party (PNP) and the other democratic forces engaged in the struggle for political alternation had to yield to popular pressure. “We will stay here until the demands we make are executed. As political leaders, it is our duty to carry the message of the people. I can tell you that we are here by the will of the people and we will leave only when we have what the people ask for. This means that from the outset we have demanded a return to the Constitution of 14 October 1992, a diaspora vote and electoral reforms. But today, the people say they want the authorities to leave. We can only carry that requirement. The modalities of the departure of power will be discussed when there is discussion. If they want to disperse the movements and repress, we are ready to assume that, “said Fulbert Attisso.
In an interview, CAP 2015 President Brigitte Adjamagbo-Johnson said that an opposition delegation had been received by Ibn Chambas, the representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Africa, Where is. The opposition told the diplomat to convey to the head of state the message of the people demanding his departure from power.
As in Lomé, there are signs of a hardening of movements in several other localities of the country. To spend the night in Deckon Square, the demonstrators improvised songs and dances.
In the evening, politicians produced a statement read by opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre. The opposition calls on Faure Gnassingbe to take full advantage of the aspirations of the sovereign Togolese people, which requires immediate discussions on the conditions of his departure.
Source: Freedom No.2512 of Friday, September 8, 2017 / By Géraud A.
