Togolese Protest V – Speech in German and Instructions in French

A group of Togolese protesters chose the World Climate Conference in Bonn (COP23) as an occasion to protest against the Togolese president Faure Gnassingbé, whose family has been in power for more than 50 years. Gnassingbé held regular elections since 2005. However, the opposition claims that he has been kept in his position by election fraud.

The protesters demanded Faure Gnassingbé's resignation and asked the participating countries of the World Climate Conference not to negotiate with his representatives as they were representing a criminal and repressive regime. Moreover, they denounced the ongoing exploitation of the African continent by European and other western countries.

Their march, which was accompanied by various speeches in both French and German as well as chants and singing, began at Kaiserplatz in Bonn and followed Kaiserstraße towards the World Conference Centre.

This is a recording of a speech in German. The speaker asks for a proper democracy in Africa and demands of the European countries not to negotiate business with African dictators. He says that Africans do not want to leave their countries but that the political and economic situations do not allow them to stay at home. Using a rhetoric question he asks why a country like Guinea is impoverished even though it produces bauxit, an aluminium ore that is often used in car production.

The speech was followed by instructions in French and German asking the participants of the demonstration to march orderly and peacefully.

Sound and Photo: Kathinka Engels