Democracy On The March

I have a fondness for tiny, obscure countries that often get forgotten, and so while we rightly celebrate the fall of the government in Lebanon, I want to take a moment to celebrate the equally heartening developments in Togo. Until recently, Togo was ruled by Gnassingbe Eyadema, who took power in a coup in 1967, didn't bother holding elections at all until 1993, and those he held after that were widely regarded as rigged. Togo's human rights record was awful, and included not only the usual horrible things -- torture, arbitrary detention, the suppression of dissent, and so forth -- but also child trafficking.

On Feb. 5, President Eyadema died. The military installed Eyadema's son as President, and the Parliament retroactively amended the Constitution to allow him to serve the rest of his father's term. This produced two responses: protests by the Togolese people, and sanctions and protests from other African countries. From the Christian Science Monitor: "Nigerian President Olesegun Obasanjo ... rallied West African nations to impose the sanctions and an arms embargo. "This is a family affair, and we want to show Africa can solve its own problems," says Remi Oyo, spokeswoman for Mr. Obasanjo." The younger Eyadema offered to hold new elections but remain in power until they had been held, but "African leaders immediately dismissed the gesture as an insufficient half-measure." (NYT) Last Friday, Eyadema stepped down; new elections will be held in 60 days.

Obviously, those elections have not actually been held yet, and so it's not clear how fair they will be. But it's heartening that both the Togolese people and other African leaders are keeping up the pressure. Moreover, as the NYTimes says, it's a real step forward for Africa:

"Mr. Gnassingbé's departure has been hailed as a huge success for African diplomacy.

"We have demonstrated a capacity to solve our own problems," Mohammad Ibn Chambas, executive secretary of the Economic Community of West African States, or Ecowas, the regional trade group that led the effort to restore the Constitution in Togo, said in a telephone interview on Saturday.

The swift reversal was one result of a new phenomenon: African leaders and institutions showing stiff resolve and complete unity, Mr. Chambas said. Ecowas and the African Union were quick and merciless in their condemnation, and worked from the first day of Mr. Gnassingbé's rule to push him from power.

"We have spoken with one voice, we have been clear about the principle and we have insisted that there is a minimum bar for governance, and when it is not met we will not tolerate it," Mr. Chambas said.

Olusegun Obasanjo, the president of Nigeria and the region's most powerful leader, was perhaps the most vociferous critic of the change of power in Togo, and he scolded Mr. Gnassingbé when the latter went to Abuja, the Nigerian capital, for talks. He also refused to accord him the pomp of an official state visit , a pointed and significant diplomatic snub. When Mr. Gnassingbé offered to hold elections but remain in power until then, African leaders immediately dismissed the gesture as an insufficient half-measure.

Western nations played a role, but it was small. The United States, the United Nations and European countries issued strongly worded statements condemning the change of power and later insisted that Mr. Gnassingbé step down. But the diplomatic effort to force the Togolese government back to constitutional rule was almost entirely an African affair.

"Africans took the lead on this, which is precisely what we want them to do," said a senior Western diplomat in Lomé, the Togolese capital. "This is exactly how it is supposed to work." "

As the Times goes on to point out, African diplomacy doesn't always work this way (see Zimbabwe.) It may have worked well in Togo precisely because, as the Times says (quoting Chris Landsberg, an analyst at the Center for Policy studies): "Togo, a tiny, poor country with a per capita income of $270 per year and few allies, "just doesn't have any of the pretense of being a player from a power politics point of view." " But for whatever reason, Togo's five and a half million people look a lot more likely to have a democracy today than they did a month ago, and that's cause for celebration.

Comments

[R J Keefe]

Whether it was attached to the story that you cite or to some other story, there was a photograph in the Times of the son-and-heir being driven off, out of office. He sat in the back of a large sedan and worse an expression that proclaimed the impossibility of his ever achieving political success on his own power. He looked terrified!

[Jackmormon]

The War Nerd wrote about events in Togo last month. Here's the link to page on the Exile.ru.

[Jackmormon]

That's one html tag I keep screwing up. Take two.
http://www.exile.ru/2005-February-11/war_nerd.html

The column seems almost optimistic, for the War Nerd.

His current column gives some background on Lebanon. Rather less cheerful.

[Bird Dog]

Judging by this report, Togo could use a little good news. Good on them.

[hilzoy]

BD: yes, by all accounts their previous government was lousy on any number of counts. Jackmormon: thanks for the link. I don't think I'll be reading War Nerd again anytime soon, though. Do you know Exile's alarming takeoff "Straight Outta Grozny"? (Not work safe.)

[rod steward]

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