Quad Cities Togolese Americans stand together to support families and friends back in Togo.
Moline, IL. – December 4, 2017 – TOGO UPRISINGQC, a group of Togolese Americans, mostly first-generation immigrants in the Quad Cities, will host a fundraising dinner on Saturday, December 9 th , 2017 at 5:30 pm at Believers Together Center of Christ the King Catholic Church – 3209 60 th Street – in Moline.
The event will be another action taken by the group in two months. Last October 21, the group organized a rally followed by a march to the local office of Congresswoman Cheri Bustos to bring attention to the 50 years of dictatorship and political assassination by the regime of Faure Gnassingbe, President of Togo. This time, the group will raise funds to support the wounded, the refugees, and families of people who have died this year peacefully protesting for freedom, justice, human rights, and democracy in Togo. The popular uprising has led to several people killed, some of them in their teens by the military.
Nicodeme Habia, an activist from Togo, in visit to the USA will draw attention at the fundraiser on the current situation. According to Habia: “It is worrisome when the government is allowing its citizens to be harassed, persecuted, and killed for peacefully protesting. The pain and agony on the faces of parents whose teens were killed for freedom and justice is a constant reminder of the dark situation in Togo.”
The group is expecting about 500 Togolese immigrants, descendants and friends of Togo to join at this historic fundraising for peace, justice and democracy in Togo. Several communities’ leaders’ councilmen and women, aldermen and activists are planning to join the fundraising dinner in support of the growing Togolese American community in the Quad Cities.
Background
Togo is a country of about 7 million people located in West Africa. It became independent on April 27, 1960. In 1963, the first democratically elected president was assassinated in the first coup d’état in Africa. Then Gnassingbe Eyadema was installed as a military dictator in 1967, and ruled Togo with iron fist for almost four decades. Upon his death in February 2005, the military installed his son, Faure Gnassingbe as President. According to the United Nations, more than 500 Togolese were killed during the installation of Faure as the leader of the country. Since August, a popular uprising in Togo led by 14 opposition parties has led to months of street demonstrations in Togo that have been brutally repressed by the army with the deaths of dozens of Togolese citizens. Protestors in Togo are demanding that Faure steps down, free and democratic elections and enforcement of term limits guaranteed by Togo’s 1992 Constitution.
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