Ghana?s foreign minister, Nana Akufo-Addo, has stated that the Government?s immediate silence on last week?s political developments in Togo should not be misconstrued to mean any sinister motive or dereliction of any responsibility.

Mr Akufo-Addo explained that the Government wanted to take actions which would be well measured and executed in the best interest of the country in view of the relations between Ghana and Togo.

Reacting to public criticisms for the delay in stating its position on what appeared to be a military intervention in Togo, Nana Akufo-Addo said that President Kufuor having handed over the baton of ECOWAS leadership to the Malian President three weeks earlier, President Kufuor did not want to create any impression that he was still in the shadows of power at the level of the sub-regional body.

The minister explained that it was the considered opinion of President Kufuor that care should be taken in making any immediate pronouncement on the Togolese issue, since any unguided statements could precipitate grave consequences on the relations between the two countries.

Nana Akufo-Addo said the President was of the view that any action that would be pursued by the Government in respect of the Togolese problem should be in the best interest of Ghana and within the framework of ECOWAS.

The foreign minister said as a result of the tactical approach adopted by Ghana to the political developments in Togo, the country had become the centre of consensus building in the sub-region, with President Kufuor once again being nominated by his peers to be part of a high-powered delegation to meet the Togolese authorities today to attempt to find a diplomatic solution to the problem in that country.

It must be recalled that, on February 10, Akufo-Addo said "When the news of the death of Eyadema, and the subsequent installation of his son as President broke out, we were in Kumasi and, therefore, could not rush to take a decision, especially when President Kufuor had just handed over the ECOWAS Chairmanship to Niger." (read)

TOGO TO FACE SANCTIONS IF ?

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has threatened to impose sanctions on Togo should the authorities there fail to comply with the advice to elect a successor to the late President Gnassingbe Eyadema in accordance with the Togolese Constitution as amended in December 2002.
Consequently, the sub-regional body has set up a high-powered delegation of West African leaders comprising President J.A. Kufuor of Ghana, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, President Amadou Tounami Toure of Mali, President Mamadou Tandja of Niger, who is the chairman of ECOWAS, and President Mathieu Kerekou of Benin to meet with the Togolese authorities in Togo today to prevail on them to comply with the advice.
The decision was taken by the West African leaders at their extraordinary summit in Niamey, Niger on Wednesday.
The summit was convened by ECOWAS to deliberate on political developments in Togo, with a view to stating its position unequivocally on the situation and find diplomatic solution to the Togolese problem.
President Kufuor explained that ?the action of the sub-regional body is not intended to be a showdown with the Togolese authorities, but meant to bring a sister country which has gone astray back on track.?
Answering questions on possible action to be taken by ECOWAS in the event of the failure of the Togolese authorities to comply with the advice, Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghana?s foreign minister, said ?They will take all the responsibility before their people and history.?