Togolese President and chairman of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), Gnassingbe Eyadema, is to begin the French leg of a European tour on Thursday, but events in Ivory Coast threaten to cut his visit short, the country's foreign minister told AFP here.
"The situation in Ivory Coast may force General Eyadema to cut short his stay in Europe," Koffi Panou said late Tuesday.
"Ivory Coast must not fall into chaos, disorder, and anarchy," he warned.
Thousands of supporters of Ivory Coast's socialist leader Laurent Gbagbo took to the streets of Abidjan Wednesday demanding recognition of Gbagbo's victory in weekend presidential elections. Nine people were killed in protests on Tuesday according to Gbagbo's party, the Ivorian Popular Front.
The Togolese leader met German Foriegn Minister Joschka Fischer in Berlin on Tuesday and is to meet German President Johannes Rau on Thursday before leaving for France, where a meeting with President Jacques Chirac is scheduled for Saturday.
Eyadema is to travel on to Italy on November 4, but his agenda there has yet to be confirmed, Panou said.
On Tuesday, Fischer "clearly made President Eyadema, who sought a stronger German commitment in Togo, understand that the federal government first wants to see democracy strengthened and human rights improved in that country," a foreign ministry spokeswoman said.
Panou said: "There is a poor understanding of Togolese politics in Europe."
"Togo is not against democracy," he added, noting the presence of "several political parties and a free press."
But "it is a country where the opposition boycotts elections," he allowed – BERLIN (AFP)
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