Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterpart in Togo on restrictions recently imposed on the rights of Togolese citizens to participate in peaceful demonstrations and to stage such demonstrations (a) on week days and (b) for the duration of a dialogue between the Government and the opposition.

Political dialogue under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States, and mediated by the President of Ghana, is ongoing. We support this regionally led effort to broker a path towards elections in Togo. The mediators have recommended that all parties refrain from protest while the dialogue continues. We encourage both Government and the opposition parties to continue with the dialogue process to reach an agreed political solution, and urge all parties to avoid violence.