DIASTODE would like to thank all nationals and friends
of Togo who have kindly donated [or will do so in the
future] in the frame of the current fund raising
campaign and popular mobilization against the
dictatorship in Togo. Among our unfailing contributors
in the United States, unyielding civil rights
activists and democrats such as Mr. Anoumou DEKPO and
Mr. Maxime ZOUMARI of New York and surroundings
deserve a special mention here.
After the death of dictator Eyadema on the 5th
February 2005, his son, Faure Gnassingbe, seized power
through a constitutional and military putsch with the
complicity of a handful of high ranked army officers.
A vast mobilization of the Togolese people’s and
citizen’s organizations, with the support of the
international community, has forced the putschists to
step down; however, the interim political power is
still confiscated by Eyadema’s clan, who called a
presidential election which is being prepared under a
serious threat of massive frauds on the part of the
dictatorial government-party RPT.
DIASTODE, which is the largest coalition of Togo’s
pro-democracy Diaspora organizations [against the
dictatorship], is also a major participant in the
strongest network of civil society organizations of
Togo that are earnestly engaged in political actions
designed to help maintain diplomatic and popular
pressure on the dictatorship in Togo. One of its goals
is to protect the human rights of persecuted
populations and citizens of Togo.
DIASTODE has toured many international institutions,
Western countries and cities to spread the urgent
information of the aggravation of the political
tension in Togo, and initiated a petition for an
effective involvement of the international community
and the entire Togolese community abroad in the
current popular/electoral campaign against the
Eyadema/Gnassingbe family dictatorship.
April 12, 2005
Joel Amovin,
Coordinator of DIASTODE-Canada
