The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, has given the green light for a Fact-Finding Mission to be deployed to Togo ahead of the legislative and regional elections set for April 29, 2024.
This mission, according to a statement from ECOWAS dated April 16, 2024, will conduct a pre-electoral assessment in line with community regulations. The earlier communiqué that specified the mission’s activities has been retracted.
This initiative aligns with Article 12 of the 2001 ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, Article 53 (c) of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework, and a decision from the Authority of Heads of State and Government allowing pre-electoral missions to Member States holding elections.
The Fact-Finding Mission will be led by Maman Sambo Sidikou, a former African Union Representative in Mali and the Sahel. During its stay in Togo from April 15 to 20, the mission will engage with key stakeholders in the electoral process, including state institutions, political parties, the election management body, civil society organizations, the media, and partners.
Following the interactions, the Mission will compile a report and present recommendations to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, who will then decide on the next steps, potentially including the deployment of an Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the legislative and regional elections.
This move demonstrates ECOWAS’s commitment to upholding democratic processes within its member states and ensuring transparency and credibility in electoral activities. Let’s await the outcomes of the Fact-Finding Mission and the subsequent actions that will be taken to support free and fair elections in Togo.
