During a meeting at the CDPA headquarters this Sunday in Lomé, Senegalese MP Guy Marius Sagna was attacked by militiamen, testifying to a worrying escalation of political violence in Togo. The “Touche Pas A Ma Constitution” front denouncing these acts, calls for the protection of fundamental rights and public freedoms.
PRESS RELEASE
LOME SEPTEMBER 29, 2024 – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST
Deputy Guy Marius Sagna injured by violent militiamen, during a meeting with Togolese at the headquarters of the Democratic Convention of African Peoples (CDPA) party
While speaking with Togolese citizens at the headquarters of the CDPA, during a meeting organized in Lomé by the Dynamique pour Majorité du Peuple (DMP) on September 29, 2024 at around 2:30 p.m., Senegalese MP Guy Marius Sagna was injured and taken to a clinic, following the violent intervention of militiamen who came illegally to disperse the meeting.
There are several other injured including our colleague Brigitte Adjamagbo-Johnson, coordinator of the DMP. MP Guy Marius Sagna is in Lomé as part of a delocalized session of the ECOWAS Parliament.
The “Touche Pas A Ma Constitution” front vigorously protests against this violence orchestrated by people hidden behind militiamen, with the aim of silencing the deputy Guy Marius Sagna who had already spoken out against the excesses of the Togolese regime, during of a session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja. As an elected representative within a regional community body, Mr. Sagna has not only the right, but also the duty to dialogue with the citizens of ECOWAS member countries. This prerogative is inherent to its function and contributes to the democratic vitality of our common regional space.
The obstruction of this fundamental right constitutes a serious attack on the principles of free movement and regional integration advocated by ECOWAS. It even undermines the foundations of freedom of expression and assembly, essential pillars of any democracy.
Beyond this specific case, the situation in Togo arouses our greatest concern. We are observing an alarming deterioration in the political climate and an ever-increasing restriction of civic space. We denounce in the strongest terms the repeated and unjustified bans on opposition activities, including:
– The sit-in, then the day of prayer and solidarity with political prisoners in Sokodé, initiated by the “Touche Pas A Ma Constitution” front. On the same day that Political Prisoners Day was banned, the ruling party held an event in the same city.
– Novation International meetings. These systematic bans flout the spirit and letter of the law on peaceful public demonstrations. They constitute a clear violation of article 13 of the said law, which strictly regulates the conditions under which a demonstration can be prohibited. However, it is clear that the Togolese authorities regularly disregard these legal provisions, prohibiting gatherings without valid justification or objective assessment of the risks.
This authoritarian drift is all the more worrying as it takes place in a fragile regional context. Togo, as a member of ECOWAS, has the duty to respect and promote the democratic values common to our sub-regional space.
“Touche Pas A Ma Constitution” solemnly urges the Togolese authorities to:
1. Immediately stop these repressive practices which undermine the fundamental rights of citizens.
2. Strictly respect the law on peaceful demonstrations, in particular its article 13.
3. Guarantee freedom of expression and assembly for all, including opposition members and regional representatives.
4. Unconditionally release political prisoners and put an end to judicial harassment of opponents. We call on the international community, and particularly ECOWAS, to take stock of the seriousness of the situation in Togo and to use all means at its disposal to return the country to the path of democracy and the rule of law. .
Democracy cannot flourish in the forced silence of the opposition and the repression of dissenting voices. The peaceful confrontation of ideas is the beating heart of a free and prosperous Nation.
Let the tyrants come, your heart longs for freedom!
La Cellule Communication
