Cameroon: The Interim Government of the Southern Cameroons Condemns and calls for Immidiate Release of President Julius Ayuk Tabe (06.01.2018)

Opinion: Suddenly Gnassingbe speaks of dialogue? That ship has sailed a long time ago!

The Togolese people have been marching and demonstrating against the Family Dynasty of the Gnassingbe, the son of the previous one, Faure Gnassingbe. Who plans to revise the Constitution so he can run for a third term and continue the 50 year rule of his family in Togo.

The Togolese people have no been demonstrating for months. They have continued with persistence for months. While that has happen, the government has banned demonstrations, even concerts on beaches. They have killed demonstrators and detained civilians for their actions. All these have suffered, but they do it to save their nation from being controlled by one family and one party.

Therefore, that Faure Gnassingbe, who has been so silent for months. Suddenly yesterday released twitter messages, that is translated to this: “I invite all political actors of all persuasions to a national leap that will allow the various components of our country to meet around a table. May the appeasement measures and climate of restraint created by the Government constitute a solid foundation for sincere and fruitful discussions. One of our greatest qualities, on the land of our ancestors #Denyigban, remains the dialogue. I invite you to a #DialogueAuTogo” (Faure Gnassingbe, 08.12.2017).

As well as the Togo Tribune says this today: “For some hours now, opinion has been that Faure Gnassingbe is making efforts towards the truth. When the Head of State believes in a tweet that One of our greatest qualities, on the land of our ancestors #Denyigban, remains the dialogue, it seems that he would not have actually lied even if his analysis seems incomplete. About 27 dialogues have been recorded since the Sovereign National Conference. These dialogues resulted in conclusions and recommendations that have never been implemented. This is not a free statement, just revisit the history. Even the social contract, the constitution of 1992, the text groomed to the size of Faure Gnassingbe’s governance since 2002 suffers from negligence at the highest state summit” (A. Lemou, 2017).

So it seems like Gnassingbe plans a 28 dialogue to make a statement and a document. That he will not follow or make happen. Because that most likely means that he would end his presidency. End the family rule. That is why he has been silent while the people has been in the streets and showed their tiredness of his rule.

A few days earlier, this was speculated: “If President Faure Gnassingbe seems to have taken the right measure of these demonstrations that gather every time thousands of Togolese in the street, it is not certain that he found the right formula to bring down the mercury. Despite the constitutional reforms of the Togolese head of state, which also limit the presidential term to two, the temperature is only climbing. Because it became the problem, to believe the opponents who do not want to negotiate anything other than the departure of the son of the late General Eyadéma Gnassingbé. What to do to return to Togo the peace invoked by everyone but not found? Diplomatic discussions, official or under the table, triggered by different firemen and whose flowers are far from blooming for lack of water to water the seeds, could even have a sad end, even before bringing the protagonists around the table. And for good reason, the opponents blame new abuses committed by the defense and security forces on the demonstrators, following the march of Saturday, December 2 which would have mobilized hundreds of people. It is to be believed that before approaching this famous dialogue, each side would like to be in a position of strength. The opposition in particular knowing the power more or less shaken and cornered raises the stakes” (Seka, 2017).

Therefore, when this sort of sentiment comes up. You know there is dire need for change, because the government is cornering the people and the opposition against it. It is creating wounds and hurt on its own. That is why the stakes are so high, while the demonstrations have been prolonged. As well as the willingly silence of the President.

But with the knowledge of the oppression of the government. It is hard to believe that Gnassingbe is ready for dialogue. Because he knows that the people are tired of him and his rule. They are ready for someone who actually represents them and not the interest of the ruling family regime that he inherited. Togolese Republic is not an institutionalized monarchy, even if the Togolese President acts like its so.

If the President had cared about his people, the ones he represent, he wouldn’t have killed protesters and detained them with arbitrary charges. He wouldn’t have banned the freedom of expression and ban public gatherings during the recent months. So, his actions for months have not showed any progression or any significant will to change. More of the same and him controlling the state machinery whose been oppressing the people.

With that in mind, I have a hard time believing that a man who can silently oppress his people for months. Have any will or tend to care about the fate of his own people. If he had cared, he had acted a long time ago and he wouldn’t dare trying to fix the laws so he could run for a third term. When the people are ready for someone else, than a Gnassingbe.

Maybe if he hadn’t ordered the killings and detaining of his own citizens. While actually letting them protest in peace and understood the problem of his continued rule. Then people might have believed the courtesy call from him now. There been enough suffering for him to just skate by the acts of his government. The government that is supposed to represent the ones they have oppressed.

Gnassingbe, better be calling on the French or someone else to foot his bills. Because the people are tired of him eating their state reserves. They demonstrations for months and their will to this. Has been manifested. The international community should support this uprising and give it legitimacy to overthrow this illegitimate government run by Gnassingbe. Peace.

Reference:

A. Lemou – ‘Faure Gnassingbé : ‘L’une de nos plus grandes qualités,…le dialogue’ (09.12.2017) link: https://togotribune.com/news/faure-gnassingb-lune-de-nos-plus-grandes-qualits-le-dialogue-2/

Seka, Par Wakat – ‘Togo: introuvable dialogue?’ (05.12.2017) link: https://www.wakatsera.com/togo-introuvable-dialogue/

Cameroon: RDPC/CPDM – “Communique de Presse” (08.12.2017)

Opinion: President Akufo-Addo message on development is what the world needs!

Yesterday, the Ghanian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo addressed the Press together with the French President Macron. As he did this he asked serious questions about governance and development. Akufo-Addo proved with brilliance what many people are saying about the African continent, but isn’t heard from the people in power. Akufo Addo actually wants like all other sovereign states to be charging his own people for the services they are getting and not handouts from strangers abroad. That isn’t noble, that is Statesmanship and responsibility. As he don’t want aid, but trade. The President wants Ghana to make it on its own and with its own resources, instead of billing the tab from afar.

All nations and all presidents should seek this paradigm. His own words are powerful and it is needed, in times when states are either addicted to aid or borrowing funds at levels that are destroying the economies. These words and shift should be taken by all states who are used to aid. So they can prepare their citizens and their institutions to be built. So that governance and the government can deliver services to their public.

Addressing a press conference with France President Emmanuel Macron during the latter’s one-day working visit to Ghana on Thursday, President Akufo- Addo said African countries cannot continue to make policies based on the support the Western world can give. He said, “Our responsibility to charter a path which is about how we can develop our nations ourselves. It is not right for a country like Ghana, 60-years after independence to still have its health and education budget being financed on the basis of the generosity and charity of European taxpayers” (…) “We need to have a mindset that says we can do it… and once we have that mindset we’ll see there’s a liberating factor for ourselves,” he said. Akufo-Addo said the only way Africa can stop its young men and women from migrating to other countries to seek greener pastures is to put in place systems that work. “We want to have those energies working inside our countries and we are going to have those energies if we begin to build systems that tells the young people of our country that their hopes, the opportunities are right here with us,” he stressed” (…) “Our concern should be with what we need to do in this 21st century to move Africa away from being cup-in-hand and begging for aid, for charity and for handouts,” he said” (Ghanaweb, 2017).

I’m European, I don’t care what Macron said or wanted to say after hearing Akufo-Addo speech. It was powerful and needed. The words that is expressed and the needed shift is there. Not that charity or aid should automatically stop. But the world, the leaders and the states themselves. Needs to find their way to sustain and develop mechanism for collecting revenue and also tax properly services. Secondly, needs proper guidelines and institutions to sufficiently create growth and stagger inflation. Combined with investment in not only extraction and producing crops, but also create products with it. So that the state don’t only get the low value export, but get refined and developed products on the world market. That isn’t an easy fix and has been tampered-on ever since independence and the world order hasn’t made it better too.

Initially, the power lays in the hands of the leadership. In the hands of people Akufo-Addo and others. Who can leave behind institutions and markets, that can leave behind educated and industries that brings wealth not only to a chosen few, but to the GDP of their respective nations. While stopping the current fix and re-up of more aid donations and charity from European taxpayers.

I hope that the African leadership are listening to this and actually follows this. To be truly independent. Be developed and generate the wealth the African people deserve and the stability of institutions it also should create to prosper. Maybe, not leadership as western-democracies, but in states and elected leadership that takes responsibility and uses the skills and resources for the benefit of all citizens. Not only for corporate citizens, but all of them. Building states and building democracies where the people and state are working for a common-goal. The betterment and changing today for the future. Not awaiting handouts from Berlin, Paris or London. The Ghanaian republic deserve this, they deserve to handle on their own, all former colonies and former protectorate deserves this. Just like the European republics and kingdoms are responsible for their own finances and economy. They are not awaiting funds from China or US to save them…

The same we should wish to say about African state, who are begging for donors and loans to fill the void of own taxation and revenue. Therefore, the speech from President Akufo-Addo deserves credit, not because he is African and wants to get rid of the hands-out. But because he speaking the truth in general. Every single statesman on planet earth, should work for this goal, no matter which continent and whatever country they are running. It doesn’t matter, all citizens and states should work for this common goal that President Akufo-Addo speaks off. Also, European Nations that are struggling with debt and with deficit like Greece and Italy, should also work for this goal and not be saved by other institutions. This is a world-wide issue, not only on the African continent. Peace.

Reference:

Ghanaweb – ‘Africa must stop depending on foreign aid – Akufo-Addo’ (03.12.2017) link: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Africa-must-stop-depending-on-foreign-aid-Akufo-Addo-606111

Cameroon: C.P.P – “Escalation of Violence in the Anglophone Crisis: the solution will not be military” (01.12.2017)

Cameroon: South-West Region – Manyu Division – Communique (01.12.2017)

Cameroon: “Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence to preside over a special meeting to evaluate the security situation of the national territory” (30.11.2017)

Cameroon: Leaders of Bamenda Press Release (26.11.2017)

Cameroon: SDF letter to the President of the National Assembly – “Object: Condition Sine Qua Non for the Continuation of Proceedings of the On-Going November 2017 Parliamentary Session” (22.11.2017)

Togo: “Manifestation de la coalition de l’opposition ce 18 novembre 2017 :Un avant-goût” (Youtube-Clip)

Clip 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr2CNs4jJEg