Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Info du pays
Published on 2024-04-19 08:35:34
*Communiqué from the independent group KOZAH-ESPOIR regarding the threats faced by its representatives in the Lassa canton*
For several days, the representatives of the independent group Kozah-Espoir have been facing threats and pressures from the leaders of their village.
Despite the continuous propaganda communiqués from the government about non-violence during the electoral period and the invitation from the Minister of Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Development of Territories, addressed to traditional leaders to “contribute to the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law, to security, social cohesion, unity, and the preservation of peace by taking sufficient height”, the chief of the village Aloum in the Lassa canton summoned the cantonal vice-president of Kozah-Espoir to his home on Sunday, April 14, 2024, to prohibit him from engaging in any political activities in the village. He threatens to expel him from the village.
Immediately informed, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, the Executive Bureau of Kozah-Espoir contacted the president of CELI KOZAH 1 and 2, who directly dispatched one of its members to meet with our representatives and the chief of the village of Aloum without delay. The chief did not have the courage to acknowledge his dangerous remarks but stated that our representatives were holding political meetings in the village without informing him. This is completely false, as KOZAH-ESPOIR has not yet held its meeting in the canton. Daily awareness activities, door-to-door campaigns during the electoral period do not require authorization from any traditional chief, Kozah-Espoir finds the chief’s argument unbearable. The height of it all is that this chief, who is supposed to be neutral and welcome all candidates, clearly takes sides by condemning our representative for being part of Kozah-Espoir, while his mother is the president of the women’s Unir.
This partisan and unconstitutional position of the village chief is of the utmost seriousness.
Despite the mediation of the CELI representative, whom we salute, the cantonal president of Kozah-Espoir receives death threats over the phone.
His vice-president is again summoned this Thursday, April 18, 2024 at noon, by another village chief. This time, he is asked to appear with his two parents and the elders of his family.
Kozah-Espoir vehemently denounces this harassment and persecution against its representatives, condemns with the utmost firmness the interference of these traditional chiefs who serve the Unir party, and urges them to immediately stop these threats and intimidations that belong to another era and degrade them. They will be held responsible for whatever happens.
Kozah-Espoir calls on the relevant authorities to ensure the security of its cantonal representatives and to sanction those who, out of zeal or for sinister reasons, engage in behaviors that undermine peaceful coexistence.
KOZAH-ESPOIR invites national and international human rights organizations to focus on the electoral process in Kozah.
Done in Kara on April 18, 2024
The President,
Ricardo Agouzou
The post Togo/Elections-Lassa canton: a traditional chief threatens to expel a candidate from his village appeared first on Togo Actualite – Premier site d’information du Togo.
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