Lome (Fides Service)- “People are beginning to go out into the streets more confident that life is returning to normal” local Church sources in Togo told Fides. Togo is living a serious political crisis with presidential elections on 25 April denounced as fraudulent by the opposition and yesterday a turning point when the two main candidates agreed to form a government of national unity whatever the outcome of the vote. The news was announced by Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo present chairman of the African Union at the end of talks with Faure Gnassingbe - son of the late president who died in February and candidate of the ruling party - and opposition leader Gilchrist Olympio.
Gnassingbe aged 39 is the son of Gnassingbe Eyadema who ruled the country for almost 40 years with an iron fist. Olympio son of the first Togolese president after independence is the recognised leader of the opposition. Unable to stand for presidency, as a non resident, in exile in Paris - he launched an electoral campaign for number 2 leader of the opposition coalition Emmanuel Akitani Bob. Gilchrist Olympio’s father Sylvanus Olympio was assassinated in 1963 in a coup led by Eyadema then a young army officer. Four years later Eyadema proclaimed himself president imposing on the country a one party regime.
“This new development was unexpected and it opens the door to hope ” say Fides sources. “However people are still prudent for fear of militia who killed some protesters yesterday. People fear the agreement may be an expedient on the part of the regime to gain time and remove all proof of crimes committed in the recent and remote past” our sources conclude. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 26/4/2005 righe 28 parole 331)