Togo: Whether many opposition members were killed after the election and their bodies found on the beaches at Lomé and Benin
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 6 November 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TGO35671.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Togo: Whether many opposition members were killed after the election and their bodies found on the beaches at Lomé and Benin, 6 November 2000, TGO35671.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4beb014.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No reports as to whether many opposition members were killed after the election and their bodies were found on the beaches at Lomé and Benin could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
However, in a 5 May 1999 report entitled Togo: Rule of Terror in Climate of Impunity, Amnesty International claimed that "after the results were announced in the June 1998 presidential election, hundreds of people, including members of the military, were killed by the security forces. Corpses were washed up on the beaches of Togo and neighbouring Benin for days afterwards."
Qualifying those accusations as "pure lies" (RFI 5 Sept. 1999), the Togolese authorities rejected the Amnesty International findings (ibid.; Country Reports 1999, 2000 Sect. 2. B.; AFP 15 Sept. 2000). However, while "the government-appointed" Beninese Human Rights Commission stated that, according to its investigations, there were no Togolese corpses thrown along the beaches in Benin (Country Reports 1999, 2000, Sect. 2 b.; RFI 6 June 1999), the "independent" Benin Human Rights League affirmed the contrary, that dead bodies were dropped along the coastal waters by military aircraft (Country Reports 1999, 2000, Sect. 2 b.; AI 5 May 2000).
Because of the contradictory situation, the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) has jointly set up an international commission of enquiry to investigate the Amnesty International allegations in June 2000 (AFP 15 Sept. 2000; ibid. 9 June 2000; BBC 15 Sept. 2000).
No information on the findings of the international commission of enquiry could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP). 15 September 2000. "International Panel to Probe Alleged Massacre in Togo: UN." (NEXIS)
_____. 9 June 2000. "Amnesty International Praises Togo Killings Inquiry." (NEXIS)
Amnesty International (AI). 5 May 2000. "Togo, One Year of Systematic Silencing of Those Who Speak for Human Rights." (Africa News/NEXIS)
_____. 5 May 1999. Rule of Terror in a Climate of Impunity (AI Index: AFR57/03/99). London: Amnesty International
BBC. 15 September 2000. "International Panel to Probe Togo Deaths."
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1999. 2000. United Sates Department of State. Washington, DC.
Radio France International (RFI) [Paris, in French]. 5 September 1999. "Togo: President Eyadema Says Accusations of Rights Violations "Pure Lies." (BBC Summary 7 Sept. 1999/NEXIS)
_____. 6 July 1999. " Rights Commission Denies Amnesty Allegations on Killings in Togo." (BBC Summary 9 July 1999/NEXIS).
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential June-October 2000.
IRB databases.
Jeune Afrique June-October 2000.
LEXIS-NEXIS.
Resource Centre country file. Togo. 2000.
World News Connection (WNC).
Internet sites including:
Amnesty International Online.
BBC Online.
Human Rights Internet (HRI).
Human Rights Watch Online.
International Crisis Group (ICG).
Missionary Service News Agency (MISNA).
Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU).
Panafrican News Agency (PANA).
ReliefWeb.
United Nations Commission for Human Rights.
Internet search engines:
Lycos.
Metacrawler.
Dogpile.
