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The Politics of Ewe History in Ghana and Its Global Diaspora Skinner, Kate
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Birmingham Research Portal Local Historians and Strangers with Big Eyes: The Politics of Ewe History in Ghana and Its Global Diaspora Skinner, Kate DOI: 10.1353/hia.2010.0022 License: None: All rights reserved Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Citation for published version (Harvard): Skinner, K 2010, 'Local Historians and Strangers with Big Eyes: The Politics of Ewe History in Ghana and Its Global Diaspora', History in Africa, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 125-158. https://doi.org/10.1353/hia.2010.0022 Link to publication on Research at Birmingham portal Publisher Rights Statement: This is a final version of an article published in Skinner, K 2010, 'Local Historians and Strangers with Big Eyes: The Politics of Ewe History in Ghana and Its Global Diaspora' History in Africa, vol 37, no. 1, pp. 125-158.. Copyright of Cambridge University Press . DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/hia.2010.0022. The article url: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/history_in_africa/v037/37.1.skinner.html (Project Muse) General rights Unless a licence is specified above, all rights (including copyright and moral rights) in this document are retained by the authors and/or the copyright holders. The express permission of the copyright holder must be obtained for any use of this material other than for purposes permitted by law. •Users may freely distribute the URL that is used to identify this publication. •Users may download and/or print one copy of the publication from the University of Birmingham research portal for the purpose of private study or non-commercial research. -
Forum De La Semaine N°2714
Produits pétroliers 2020 Juin 02 Les prix Mardi subissent une du 4 nouvelle baisse P.3 année N° 271 à la pompe ème 18 Grand Quotidien Privé Togolais d’Information et d’Analyse 250 F site :http//www.forumdelasemaine.com Décès de Me Agboyibo : VoiciVoici lele parcoursparcours chronologiquechronologique dede l’illustrel’illustre disparudisparu C’est la surprise du week-end. L’ancien Premier ministre togolais, Me Yawovi Agboyibo n’est plus. L’opposant a rendu l’âme des suites d’une courte maladie à Paris où il s’est rendu depuis plusieurs semaines. Et pourtant, selon nos informations, l’homme de Kouvé gardait encore ses sens le jour même où il rendit l’âme puisqu’il était en contact avec certains membres de sa famille. Plusieurs retiennent de l’homme politique un patriote et un leader animé par l’amour de son pays. Me Agboyibo a été de tous les combats. Trois fois candidat à la Présidence togolaise, celui qui a passé 7 mois en prison pour avoir dénoncé les exactions du régime ne verra finalement pas l’alternance politique de son vivant. Insulté, critiqué et vilipendé pour son approche et sa conception de la lutte politique, qui ont pourtant permis au pays d’engranger plusieurs résultats dans le processus de démocratisation, le bélier noir n’aura pas été compris par ses pairs de l’opposition quand il avançait le concept de « déverrouillage des institutions de la République ». Togobreakingnews.info vous propose son combat en 20 dates clés. P.4 Braquage à Cinkassé UnUn mormorttt,, unun blessé,blessé, unun desdes braqueursbraqueurs enen cavale,cavale, deuxdeux armesarmes saisiessaisies P.3 F O R U M N A T I O N Journée nationale de l’arbre Le ministre de l’Environnement compte sur les collectivités locales pour faire plus Instituée depuis 1977, par un son potentiel ligneux à l’instar d’autres pays « les forêts et la biodiversité » tire sa situation nécessite que les mesures urgentes pépiniéristes privés à la production de plants visionnaire, écologiste, Feu Général de la sous-région. -
Opinion 475.Qxd Du 14 Mars 2016
ANNONCES 2 NOUVELLE OPINION - N°475 DU 14 MARS 2016 POLITIQUE CRISE AU SEIN DU CAR : S'achemine-t-on vers l'éclatement du parti ? Depuis quelques semaines, une crise sans précédent secoue le Comité d'Action pour le Renouveau (CAR) de Me Yaovi Agboyibo.Au sein de la population comme chez les militants de premières heures,chacun en ce qui le concerne tente de don- ner son appréciation. A l'origine de cette crise, se trouve en bonne place, le retour annoncé de Me Agboyibo,fondateur du parti qui avait dû passer le témoin à Me Apévon dans l'esprit de baliser le terrain à l'alternance comme ça se passe au sein de certains partis de l'opposition. Depuis que Me Apévon dirige pour proposer que le congrès de main de maître le CAR, cette maintienne Me Apevon à son formation politique semble être poste de Président, lui recomman- en mauvaise posture dans le giron dant de donner procuration à son politique togolais. Du coup, cer- mentor Me Agboyibo pour contri- tains militants qui sont des figures buer au règlement des problèmes de proue au sein du CAR ont complexes du pays. Me Yawovi Madji Agboyibo Me Paul Dodzi Apévon pensé que le retour à la tête de C'est dans cette farce de mau- plus hautes personnalités du parti. risque-t-elle pas de sonner le glas d'hui par Francis Ekon et la CDPA Me Agboyibo, pouvait insuffler vais goût qu'est née la crise au C'est ce que, M. Passoki, aussi à ce parti ? Ce qui nous étonne, dont la direction revient à Mme une dynamique au parti qui peine sein du parti des déshérités. -
Togo an Election Tainted by Escalating Violence
Public amnesty international TOGO AN ELECTION TAINTED BY ESCALATING VIOLENCE AI Index: AFR 57/005/2003 6 June 2003 INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT, 1 EASTON STREET, LONDON WC1X 0DW, UNITED KINGDOM TOGO : AN ELECTION TAINTED BY ESCALATING VIOLENCE The presidential election that took place in Togo on 1 June 2003 resulted, as many independent observers feared, in clashes between opposition supporters and the security forces, who made arrests and used force to suppress demonstrations and discontent in several parts of the country. During the last month, the security forces have arrested about forty people who the military suspect of voting for opposition candidates or inciting other people to do so. One person was shot in the back in an extrajudicial manner by a member of the security forces. The man was escaping on a motor bike when he was shot. Another person was seriously wounded in this incident. Security forces are on patrol throughout the country, especially in Lomé. Passers-by, some of whom were suspected of being close to the opposition, have been stopped in the street by the security forces and beaten up. The authorities have also put pressure on journalists to publish only the results announced by the Commission électorale nationale indépendante (CENI) 1 , National Independent Electoral Commission. On 4 June 2003, CENI officially declared the winner of the election to be the outgoing president, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, in power since 1967. Two days previously, two opposition candidates, Emmanuel Bob Akitani and Maurice Dahuku Péré, representatives, of l’Union des forces du changement (UFC) the Union of Forces for Change and the Pacte socialiste pour le renouveau (PSR), Socialist Pact for Renewal respectively, proclaimed themselves winners of the election. -
01-14-2019 19:25___Executive Summary__The Gnassingbé Clan Has Ruled the Country Since 1967. the Demand
Munich Personal RePEc Archive BTI -2022 Togo Country Report : political and socio-economic development, 2019-2020 [enhanced author’s version] Kohnert, Dirk Institute of African Affairs, GIGA-Hamburg 28 December 2020 Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/107022/ MPRA Paper No. 107022, posted 10 Apr 2021 04:25 UTC Author’s extended and annotated version of BTI 2022 – Togo Country Report’, forthcoming Togo’s Political and Socio-Economic Development (2019 – 2021) Dirk Kohnert 1 Source: “No, to 50 years more”, Africa Youth Movement statement on protest in Togo #TogoDebout/ iDA Abstract: The Gnassingbé clan has ruled the country since 1967. The demand for political alternance, constituted the major contentious issue between the government and the challengers of the Gnassingbé regime throughout the survey period. The first local elections since more than 30 years took finally place on 30 June 2019 and resulted in the victory of the ruling party. Shortly afterwards, in February 2020, the President won also the disputed presidential elections and thus consolidated his power, assisted by the loyal army and security services. The outbreak of the Corona epidemic in Togo in April 2020 and the subsequent economic recession may have contributed to limit popular protest against the Gnassingbé regime. The human rights record of the government has improved but remains poor. Despite undeniable improvements to the framework and appearance of the regime's key institutions during the review period, democracy remains far from complete. However, the international community, notably Togo’s African peers, the AU and ECOWAS, followed a ‘laissez-faire’ approach in the interests of regional stability and their national interests in dealing with Togo. -
2010 Human Rights Report: Senegal Page 1 of 21
2010 Human Rights Report: Senegal Page 1 of 21 Home » Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs » Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor » Releases » Human Rights Reports » 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices » Africa » Senegal 2010 Human Rights Report: Senegal BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices April 8, 2011 Senegal, with an estimated population of 12.8 million, is a moderately decentralized republic dominated by a strong executive branch. In 2007 Abdoulaye Wade was reelected president in an election generally viewed as free and fair despite sporadic incidents of violence and intimidation. In 2007 the ruling Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) won the majority of seats in National Assembly elections that were boycotted by the leading opposition parties. During the March 2009 local elections (municipal, regional, and rural communities), a multiparty opposition coalition scored significant victories, especially in the country's major cities. International observers characterized the March 2009 elections as generally free and transparent. Security forces reported to civilian authorities. Major human rights problems included the following: inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees and prisoners, including reports of physical abuse and torture; overcrowded prisons; questionable investigative detention and long pretrial detention; lack of an independent judiciary; limits on freedoms of speech, press, and assembly; corruption and impunity; rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment of and discrimination against women; female genital mutilation (FGM); child abuse; child marriage; infanticide; trafficking in persons; and child labor. Rebels associated with the Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance (MFDC) killed civilians and military personnel, committed robberies, fought with the army, and harassed local populations while fighting each other. -
Togo: Thorny Transition and Misguided Aid at the Roots of Economic Misery
Munich Personal RePEc Archive Togo: Thorny transition and misguided aid at the roots of economic misery Kohnert, Dirk GIGA - Institute of African Affairs, Hamburg 8 October 2007 Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/9060/ MPRA Paper No. 9060, posted 13 Jun 2008 10:14 UTC GIGA Research Programme: Transformation in the Process of Globalisation Togo: Failed transition and misguided aid at the roots of economic misery1 Dirk Kohnert October 2007 Abstract The holding of early parliamentary elections in Togo on October 14, 2007, most likely the first free and fair Togolese elections since decades, are considered internationally as a litmus test of despotic African regimes’ propensity to change towards democratization and economic prosperity. Western donors took Togo as model to test their approach of political conditionality of aid, which had been emphasised as corner stone of the joint EU-Africa strategy. Recent empirical findings on the linkage between democratization and economic performance are challenged in this paper. It is open to question, whether Togo’s expected economic consolidation and growth will be due to democratization of its institutions or to the improved external environment, notably the growing competition between global players for African natural resources. Key words: democratization, governance, economic growth, development, LDCs, Africa JEL Code: F35 - Foreign Aid; F51 - International Conflicts; Negotiations; Sanctions; F59 - International Relations and International Political Economy; O17 - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements; O55 – Africa; P47 - Performance and Prospects; P48 - Political Economy; Legal Institutions; Property Rights; Z1 - Cultural Economics; Economic Sociology Dr. Dirk Kohnert is economist and Deputy Director of the Institute of African Affairs (IAA) at GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies in Hamburg, Germany, and editor of the scholarly journal ‘Afrika Spectrum’ since 1991. -
TOGOLESE REPUBLIC Work-Liberty-Fatherland 6Th, 7Th and 8Th PERIODIC REPORTS of the STATE of TOGO on the IMPLEMENTATION of the A
TOGOLESE REPUBLIC Work-Liberty-Fatherland 6th, 7th and 8th PERIODIC REPORTS OF THE STATE OF TOGO ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS (Article 62 of the Charter) August 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 14 PART ONE ........................................................................................................................................ 15 OVERALL LEGAL FRAMEWORK ON HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION . .............................. 15 PART TWO ...................................................................................................................................... 17 NATIONAL MEASURES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHARTER . ........................ 17 Articles 2 and 3 : The right to the enjoyment of rights and freedoms recognised and guaranteed by the Charter without distinction of any kind and equality before the law .......................................... 17 Article 4 : The protection of the right to life ..................................................................................... 17 The Death Penalty .............................................................................................................................. 17 Articles 6 : The right to liberty and to the security of the person, prohibition from arrests or arbitrary detentions ......................................................................................................................................... -
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS on the FRONT LINE Debut A5.Qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 2 Debut A5.Qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 3
debut_a5.qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 1 HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS ON THE FRONT LINE debut_a5.qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 2 debut_a5.qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 3 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders / FIDH and OMCT Human Rights Defenders on the Front Line Annual Report 2004 Foreword by Lida Yusupova debut_a5.qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 4 Drafting, editing and co-ordination : Catherine François, Julia Littmann, Juliane Falloux and Antoine Bernard (FIDH) Delphine Reculeau, Mariana Duarte, Anne-Laurence Lacroix and Eric Sottas (OMCT) The Observatory thanks Marjane Satrapi, comic strip author and illustrator of the annual report cover, for her constant and precious support. The Observatory thanks all partner organisations of FIDH and OMCT, as well as the teams of these organisations. Distribution : this report is published in English, Spanish and French versions. The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) authorise the free reproduction of extracts of this text on condition that the source is credited and that a copy of the publication containing the text is sent to the respective International Secretariats. FIDH – International Federation for Human Rights 17, passage de la Main d'Or – 75 011 Paris – France Tel.: + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 – Fax: + 33 (0) 1 43 55 18 80 [email protected] / www.fidh.org OMCT – World Organisation Against Torture 8, rue du Vieux-Billard – Case postale 21 – 1211 Geneva 8 – Switzerland Tel.: + 41 22 809 49 39 – Fax: + 41 22 809 49 29 [email protected] / www.omct.org debut_a5.qxp 04/04/2005 12:04 Page 5 FOREWORD UNITED AGAINST HORROR by Lida Yusupova Human rights defenders in Chechnya have to work in an extremely difficult environment. -
A Study of the Ewe Unification Movement in the United States
HOME AWAY FROM HOME: A STUDY OF THE EWE UNIFICATION MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES BY DJIFA KOTHOR THESIS Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in African Studies in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2012 Urbana, Illinois Master’s Committee: Professor Faranak Miraftab, Chair Professor Kathryn Oberdeck Professor Alfred Kagan ABSTRACT This master’s thesis attempts to identity the reasons and causes for strong Ewe identity among those in the contemporary African Diaspora in the United States. An important debate among African nationalists and academics argues that ethnic belonging is a response to colonialism instigated by Western-educated African elites for their own political gain. Based on my observation of Ewe political discourses of discontent with the Ghana and Togolese governments, and through my exploratory interviews with Ewe immigrants in the United States; I argue that the formation of ethnic belonging and consciousness cannot be reduced to its explanation as a colonial project. Ewe politics whether in the diaspora, Ghana or Togo is due to two factors: the Ewe ethnonational consciousness in the period before independence; and the political marginalization of Ewes in the post-independence period of Ghana and Togo. Moreover, within the United States discrimination and racial prejudice against African Americans contribute to Ewe ethnic consciousness beyond their Togo or Ghana formal national belongings towards the formation of the Ewe associations in the United States. To understand the strong sense of Ewe identity among those living in the United States, I focus on the historical questions of ethnicity, regionalism and politics in Ghana and Togo. -
Election Observation and the Question of State Sovereignty in Africa
46 DOI: 10.20940/JAE/2017/v16i1aDOI: 10.20940/JAE/2017/v16i1a3 JOURNAL3 OF AFRICAN ELECTIONS ELECTION OBSERVATION AND THE QUESTION OF STATE SOVEREIGNTY IN AFRICA Guy Cyrille Tapoko Guy Cyrille Tapoko is the Acting Head, Democracy and Electoral Assistance Unit, in the Department of Political Affairs of the African Union, Addis Ababa email: [email protected] ABSTRACT The fundamental question of whether international election observation strengthens or weakens state sovereignty in African states is examined in this article, using a three-branched hypothesis. Firstly, that the presence of international election observers in the host state does not violate state sovereignty. Secondly, that international election observation enhances democratic legitimacy in the state concerned. Thirdly, that with the advent of the right to intervene in international law, international election observation is a tool used to reinforce the legitimate sovereignty of the state. Many researchers argue that international election observation has been used to infringe state sovereignty, especially in post-conflict states. This paper presents a different view by offering a general analysis of the African continent, demonstrating that international election observation makes an invaluable contribution to restoring and reinforcing legitimate state sovereignty. Keywords: election observation, sovereignty, legitimacy INTRODUCTION Election observation in the modern world began in May 1948 when the United Nations led an election observation mission to South Korea to observe the Constituent Assembly election organised in that country. On the African continent, election observation emerged following the democratic wind of change which blew across sub-Saharan Africa after the 1990s. This change was experienced through the organisation of elections reputed to be democratic in countries which had, since their independence, been governed by the single-party system. -
AC Vol 44 No 11
www.africa-confidential.com 30 May 2003 Vol 44 No 11 AFRICA CONFIDENTIAL USA/LIBYA 2 USA/AFRICA Getting to know the Colonel again Spinning the continent Washington’s political managers believe their Africa policy can win Chester Crocker and oil companies Occidental Oil and ConocoPhillips votes at home and undermine France at the G-8 summit are urging President Bush to start a A standing ovation greeted President George W. Bush as he marched into the State Department rapprochement with Libya. This flies auditorium on 28 May to sign a new bill providing US$15 billion for HIV/AIDS, to be spent mainly in against the tougher line on Tripoli Africa. In a bid for US leadership of the international campaign against HIV/AIDS, Bush called the held by administration hawks. initiative ‘a great mission of rescue’ and urged Europe, Japan and Canada to ‘match their good intentions with real resources.’ With the HIV/AIDS law rushed through Congress, Bush will be able to admonish ZIMBABWE 3 his rich-country counterparts to do more on HIV/AIDS when France hosts the G-8 summit in Evian on 8 June and some of them will hit back with accusations of US unilateralism and hypocrisy on free trade. What’s next? The State Department was packed with well-wishers – foreign policy enthusiasts from the Democrats Opposition MDC leader Morgan and the governing Republicans, former Zambian President and HIV/AIDS campaigner Kenneth Tsvangirai has told Zimbabweans Kaunda, evangelical Christians, health campaigners and Africa advocacy groups which see HIV/AIDS to prepare for a general strike in the as the central issue facing the continent.