The story of contemporary social movement in sub-Sahara Africa is the story of the fight "grassroot forces" undertake against modern state authoritarism. Populations and leaders always develop concrete, but non-theoretical responses to overcome colonial powers, one-party ruling systems, as well as diverse instrumentations of multipartism. However, while governments change, arbitrary political systems maintain. How can one justify radical attitude avoiding spaces of open confrontation, participation and expression of differences in Togo? How can economic theory explain this blocked situation? Certainly through the clivage between the so-called "Liberal" and "Republican" model of economy.
The spirit of liberalism still considers former colonies as geographical zones from which foreign firms can enhance plus-value through financial investment. To sustain their keeping of outcomes, market investors establish a native at the position of the head of state or infiltrate political regimes and then take control of resources and services. Scholars and graduates associated to the ponction of goods then become watchers in the dominating system established. Their main function is to capture urban and rural population and maintain them under market rules. As African representatives hardly know the dynamics of the capitalist economy system to initiate liberal policies in their country, they recycle domestic activity under rentier, predatory, and patrimonial economy. The market-based principles of "Laisser-passer" and "laisser-faire" become objectives in se. The main stake of the nation-state is hence to make use of violence in favour of multinational companies. However, when times get difficult with the depression and collapse of markets, capitalist world-system holders disengage themselves as fast as possible after suggesting dictatorship to criminalize opposition leaders and their supporters. While executing external orders, as to his habit, the Relay himself plays the worst role. Such is the "Strong Man", the "Terrible Boss", the scapegoat through whom Western "liberal" predators pursue ceaselessly the humiliation of African women and children, young and old.
The "republican" vision of economy is rather different. It considers the country from the point of view of the communities. Citizenship ethic remains its political norm, which is oriented toward democracy and integration processes, by including everybody and paying respect to differences. "Republicans" can be recognized through their trajectories. They are citizens who are arrested, exiled or excluded from decision making concerning their country. Their expectation is to put and end to tragic political rule of the past. "Republican" economic philosophy is aimed at the research of common interest they consider linked to the implementing of Public Politic Sphere. The alternative purpose is to mobilize anyone as a first person, activists, volunteers, civil society organizations, churches, political parties, grassroot people - just as the November 09th, 2002 march, in Lomé, revealed active popular will to change in Togo.
Of course, the November march protest reveals the unity of opposition leaders. Nevertheless, the choice of only one representative leader remains to be taken. The tree could no longer hide the forest. Train wagons full of travelers remain at the station, as long as there is no locomotive. International opinion, friends of Togo and Togolese lose patience because, till now, the Coalition of democratic forces still lack to chose only one ambitious leader.
Geneva, Switzerland, November 14, 2002
N.O.R.A.T. (Nouvel Observatoire des Réalités Africaines et Togolaises)
