Anti-German Sentiment Whipped up in Togo
Deutsche Welle's Cordula Denninghof spoke with the director of the Goethe Haus in Lome, Togo, after the German cultural center was burned down amid violent political unrest.
Germany once again called for an end to the "anti-German agitation" in Togo on Monday. A speaker for the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin said the German government would be watching the situation in Lomé "with great attention and care."
Togo, once a German colony, has experienced widespread unrest since its presidential election on April 24. Opposition activists have rejected the victory of the ruling candidate, Faure Gnassingbe (photo) and the country has been in political upheaval since the former ruler and Faure's father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, died in February. He and his army commanders ran the country for nearly 40 years.
#b#In what appeared to be related violence, armed young locals set the Goethe Institute in Lome ablaze on Friday, destroying it almost completely. Following the election, the Togolese government had criticized the German Embassy, claiming it supported the opposition. Togo's former interior minister, who lost his job after calling for the election to be delayed, had sought refuge at the German embassy.
Deutsche Welle's Cordula Denninghoff discussed the background of the rioting with Herwig Kempf, director of the Goethe Institute.
DW: How tense is the situation in [Lome] and around your building at the moment?
HK: All the stores are closed. People are holed up in their houses but you notice a tension that could break out into unrest at any moment.
DW: It appears that there has been anti-German sentiment in Togo for days now. Why?
HK: I have to say that this anti-German sentiment has really only been evident for the past few days. Before that, Togo was -- or the Togolese were -- in general very, very friendly toward Germany. They have a positive view of the German colonial times and say Germans have done a lot for the country. The anti-German mood is coming from a very specific quarter. To be precise, from part of the ruling clique, if I do say so.
DW: Concretely, what are the motives behind these attacks. Why was Goethe Institute targeted and destroyed?
HK: I believe they heard that a minister who had resigned from his job was probably being housed by an EU embassy. They say it was the German embassy. Since then, some adherents of the ruling powers have fomented anti-German sentiment. And in the past few days there were rumors that a German facility would be attacked. And they got the Goethe Institute.
DW: The man you are alluding to is the Togolese Interior Minister Francois Boko. He was let go shortly before the election last Sunday. Then he took refuge in an embassy. What is his role in the current conflict?
HK: He warned people even before the election. He said it would be best if the election were delayed. That's a statement he made on the Thursday night before the Friday election. Of course, the statement was rebuffed. It wasn't accepted. And then everyone went to the ballots. And since then, Boko has been trying to make it clear that it is better to create a government of national unity than to allow antagonisms to erupt, which now have actually already erupted.
DW: Does this imply the Germans are cooperating with the opposition?
HK: People think Boko is negotiating from within the embassy and is pulling certain strings. That's why the government has an anti-German attitude. But I have to repeat: It's not the people, but a small segment of those in power.
Cordula Denninghof (jen)
Baltic States Boom, Thanks to EU
As the Baltic states mark the first anniversary of joining the EU, there is no sign of euro skepticism: instead Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have all experienced an economic upturn.
People typically think of Latvia's capital Riga as a grey, run-down place with beggars at every street corner. But, they couldn't be more wrong. Today's Riga in fact is a lively, vibrant city with exclusive shops, markets and restaurants.
It has a beautiful historic city center which many call the Art Nouveau capital of the world. Fourteen years after Latvia's independence and one year after the country joined the EU, the sad eastern European atmosphere has disappeared from the city, said former Foreign Minister Sandra Kalniete.
"Yes it's true, the grey haze has lifted," she said. "If you look at the faces of the Latvian people, they are not reserved and depressed anymore. People look at you openly and directly, they walk tall."
"The grey atmosphere in the streets and institutions has also disappeared," she added. "It feels as if something is in the air just because Latvia has finally returned to Europe. The Baltic countries have gone a long and difficult way since their independence in 1991. They had to get rid of the Soviet stamp which they had to bear for 50 years."
Not all is well in the countryside
Riga of course is not Latvia -- the beautiful appearance of the capital does not mirror the situation in the countryside.
Just like Estonia and Lithuania, Latvia is still confronted with many challenges, such as the huge gap between poor and rich, unemployment, poverty, alcohol abuse and HIV/Aids. And even though the reform process of the EU newcomers is impressive, there are structural problems which are not easy to solve, said political scientist Vyautas Radzvilas from Lithuania.
"I would go so far as to say that in Lithuania -- just like in many other eastern European reform countries -- members of the old communist elite have re-positioned themselves," he said. "You'll find shady entrepreneurs misusing tax money for their businesses. The profits are then invested to corrupt politicians and buy their protection."
Estonia the front-runner
Of the three Baltic states, Estonia has witnessed the biggest economic boom. By offering foreign investors low corporate tax rates and a well educated workforce the country now hopes for more investments and qualified production. Adapting to the new situation, however, is still difficult for the older generation: Many people above fifty don't believe in the free market -- or democracy.
On the other hand young people -- like 23-year-old student Ylie who is selling almonds at the market place in Estonia's capital Tallinn, feel at home in Europe.
"We can travel everywhere, we can study everywhere," he said. "The world stands open, it is great to be able to decide freely."
DW staff (win)
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