In Lome, Pastor Edoh Komi, the president of the Martin Luther King movement, a civil society group in the country, strongly denounced the civilian casualties that followed the Hamas attack against Israel.
He said the weekend assault was extremely violent against Israel and unacceptable. He said that what happened is criminal and that the Togolese people condemn it because they believe that violence never solves a problem, and it is a shame civilians are victims.
FILE- A woman attends a pro-Israel protest at the 'Shoes on the Danube Bank' memorial, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Budapest, Hungary, October 10, 2023.
Another resident and head of Togo’s Center for Research and International Geopolitics, Firmin Teko Agbo, said the violence is related to the Palestinians’ desire for independence.
He said the problem is fundamentally one of territory. The Palestinians want their territory, control of the state and central power. He added that Israel should let the Palestinians have their territory and that the United Nations should be involved in the decision.
FILE - A pro-Palestine demonstrator holds up a placard in front of police officers during a "in solidarity with Gaza" rally in Duisburg, western Germany, on October 9, 2023.
For an end to the violence between Israel and Palestine, Lome resident Gerry Taama believes the two populations must return to the UN Partition Plan for Palestine proposed in 1947. The proposal would have created two separate states – one for Jews and the other for the Arab population, with a Special International Regime for the city of Jerusalem. The plan was never enacted because of disputes over the amount of land to be allotted to each side.
Taama said his position in the conflict has always been clear: there must be a two-state solution – one for the Palestinians and the other for Israel. Taama added that to do this, people motivated by love and peace must take the lead, rather than fundamentalists who he says are fueling the violence. He said Israel should put an end to what he calls "colonization."
Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey strongly condemned the attack by Hamas militants against Israeli civilians on the social network X, which was formerly known as Twitter.
“We encourage Israel and Hamas to continue dialogue to resolve differences, “ he said. We demand the release of the hostages. The priority is peace in Israel, Palestine and the region. We are on the side of peace.”
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Togo Residents React Following Surprise Attack of Israel by Hamas Militants