Togo: Government launches strained political talks

Political talks between the Togolese government and opposition parties officially opened last Thursday under pressure from the European Union (EU) despite the absence by main opposition parties. Some 26 political parties were invited to participate in the opening ceremony of the first political talks to be held since 1999. The EU is currently putting pressure on Togo to improve democracy, one of the conditions to lift ten-year-old sanctions against the country.