Togo impasse not over yet – Irbard warns

International Relations and Security Expert, Irbard Ibrahim says the political impasse in Togo is not over yet, until President Akufo-Addo, leading the mediation efforts allows the parties to form a unity government for at least one-term.

“I believe in every major crisis situation in Africa, it's about power drunkenness, so the way forward is power sharing. His Excellency, Nana Akufo-Addo must allow them share power, and form unity government, or a transitional government.” he told Kasapa 102.5 FM Monday.

President Akufo-Addo is hopeful that sooner rather than later, a solution will be found to the impasse in Togo, so that peace, stability, the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law, which are the demands of the Togolese people, will be realised in Togo.

The Ghanaian leader last week facilitated a dialogue between the government and the opposition parties in Togo as part of measures to broker peace in that country.

The government of Togo and the coalition of 14 opposition political parties agreed to implement a number of measures aimed at building trust and confidence amongst the political actors in Togo.

Last Monday’s dialogue was the first by President Akufo-Addo since the outbreak of political disturbances in that country last year.

Since September last year, opposition parties in Togo and their supporters have been agitating for the removal of the incumbent President, Faure Gnassingbe, and an end to the Gnassingbe Dynasty in Togo.

However, commenting on the Togo situation on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM Monday, Irbard said it’s impossible to see a cessation of the Political crisis if Akufo-Addo does not fashion out an interim power deal that will address the boiling issues in the West African country.

“For half a century the people have not seen any other ruling elite apart from one family. It is about lack of participation for the other groups and divergent political ideologies.

“For Togo, I think after fifty years of being under one family, the people have reasoned up and they’ll not take any lopsided mediation that will favour the Eyadema Family. So what I’m proposing is power-sharing agreement for the next five years. Let Faure Gnassingbe take the opposition Leader as his Prime minister or Vice President. After the 1 term, both parties cannot run the office of President again, then you start on a clean sheet.

“The simmering that’ll be happening under the surface, when it blows up would be worse than the demonstrations we’ve seen since last year.”