Mr Ridwan Seidu (holding microphone), General Advisor, Defending Friends of Democracy speaking at the press briefing. Those with him are some executives of the group. Picture: NII MARTEY M. BOTCHWAY

DFD urges ECOWAS to implement roadmap

Nii Martey M. Botchway Oct - 19 - 2018 , 12:07

A group calling itself Defending Friends of Democracy (DFD) has called on leadership of the Economic Organisation of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Ghanaian government to ensure that the blueprint designed by ECOWAS on the impasse in Togo is followed through.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, the General Advisor to DFD, Mr Ridwan Seidu accused the Togolese government of violating the roadmap.

He said the Togolese government has failed in taking steps to fulfill recommendations made by ECOWAS which enjoins it to release prisoners who were arrested during the unrest in Togo.

Languishing in jail

According to him, those arrested are still languishing in jail while Togolese authorities have failed to abide by a resolution that demands the Togolese military to retreat from its siege in certain parts of the country.

Demands

While commanding ECOWAS for drawing a roadmap that would ensure political stability in Togo, the DFD among other things demanded that ECOWAS must mount some pressure on the Togolese authorities to unconditionally release the detainees of the political unrest whom according to them were individuals merely excising their fundamental human rights.

The DFD also called for an immediate cessation of ongoing military siege in some parts of Togo.

The DFD is also demanding from ECOWAS to direct the Togolese government to abide by its recommendation by giving amnesty to politicians and political activists in exile while ensuring that Togo has a credible and neutral electoral commissioner to superintend over the electoral commission.

Illegal voter registration

The DFD also accused the Togolese government of engaging in an illegal voter registration process and implored ECOWAS to ensure that the registration is stopped until the roadmap agreed on by ECOWAS and all stakeholders in the Togolese political crises is fully implemented.

Mr Seidu further commended the ECOWAS chairman, President Muhammadu Buhari and his Ghanaian and Guinean counterparts, President Akufo Addo and President Alpha Conde for the stellar leadership they have shown towards resolving the crises in Togo.