The Attack on Guy Marius Sagna Further Exposes the Myth of Togo’s Pan-Africanism

A few weeks ago, it was announced that the Pan-African Congress which Togolese government was preparing to host was postponed. The congress was nothing more than a shameless attempt by a discredited regime to garner some credibility for itself by attaching itself to the legacy of Pan-Africanism. This opportunistic move was motivated by the recent popular movements in West Africa such as the establishment of the Alliance of Sahel States. The regime in Togo recognizes that Pan-Africanism is shaping the future of politics in the region, so Togo’s dictatorship tried to attach itself to Pan-Africanism in a bid to improve its tainted image.

If there were those who were under the illusion that perhaps the regime in Togo was legitimately trying to embrace Pan-Africanism, the recent attack against Guy Marius Sagna should dispel this illusion. Guy Marius Sagna is a Senegalese politician who represents a genuine anti-colonial vision for Pan-Africanism.

Sagna was recently attacked in Togo. It appears to be no accident that Sagna, who is an outspoken critic of the regime in Togo, would be the target of an attack. This also demonstrates the nature of the politics of Togo that even political leaders from other African nations are not safe in Togo. This also shows that Togo is not only content to suppress the genuine Togolese Pan-African voices, but even Pan-Africanists from other nations are not safe in Togo.