Togo: Africa’s Democratic Test Case
By James M. Lindsay, Ivo H. Daalder
BBC News, April 19, 2005

According to the BBC, the question of how committed Africa is to democratic norms will be communicated to the world through how the continent reacts to the actions taken by Togo’s ruling regime to thwart democratic transition in the tiny nation. South Africa and Nigeria have already come out publicly and condemned the constitutional changes that allowed Faure Gnassingbe to inherit the presidency following his father’s death. Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo stated that “All African leaders should not accept what has happened in that country until there is a democratic transition.”

President Obasanjo has been one of the main proponents of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). NEPAD is a plan aimed at improving Africa’s democratic governance through the offering of financial incentives from Western nations such as an increase in aid as well as a further opening of Western markets to African goods. Togo will be an important test case in measuring Africa’s ability to deliver on its promises to stand against corruption and authoritarianism.

If diplomatic pressure from continental powers such as Nigeria and South Africa does not dissuade Togo from its current path, some have called for the imposition of sanctions. However, sanctions would be difficult to enforce because Togo shares a common CFA currency with its neighbors and has signed a regional agreement guaranteeing the free circulation of people and goods.

New elections were set for 60 days after the death of former President Eyadema. Mr. Gnassingbe contends that “Togo is engaged without reserve in the democratic process…” However, there are according to the BBC other options to ensure Togo’s compliance if the upcoming elections are not considered free and fair. France holds considerable influence over its former colony and could push to reinstitute EU aid that was suspended following the corrupt elections in 1993 if the upcoming elections display an implementation of the electoral reforms that the EU has been calling for.