A scenario almost the opposite, a March 23, 2023. A date which will undoubtedly remain marked in the history of the Gnassingbé siblings and more generally in the collective consciousness of the opinion interested from near or far, by an outcome of the crisis between Head of State Faure Gnassingbé and his half-brother Kpatcha. That is 14 years after another event which had almost turned into a politico-family drama. It was in fact, April 15, three days after the Easter celebration, in 2009. A date that rhymed with the beginning of Kpatcha’s descent into hell and which crowned a raid against his home on Easter night.
The recent upside-down development, the evacuation of Kpatcha Gnassingbé to Libreville for health reasons, according to indiscretions, is in all likelihood a thunderclap in a totally serene sky. After several years in detention for being convicted of ” attempted attack on the internal security of the State “, the former Minister of Defense and later, deputy, will find ” a foot on the ground “. Arrested noisily, he will be extracted and transferred to the country of Ali Bongo where the arrival of Faure’s brother has been confirmed.
Without the slightest press release from the Public Prosecutor specifying the nature or the reasons for the evacuation, if it really is one, or any judicial decision granting him provisional or conditional release. Leaving room for speculation.
But it must be admitted that the illustrious prisoner must have a ” destin – we allow ourselves to appear non-Cartesian on purpose – with the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. If years ago the celebration of this holiday had witnessed the beginning of his troubles, this time it again offers him the opportunity to breathe fresh air.
Good riddance to Faure Gnassingbé? One thing is certain, the former member of Kozah, tried, sentenced and detained for years for attempting to undermine state security, did not seem to represent any threat to the Head of the State. And to evoke a legal-judicial constraint to interpret Faure Gnassingbé’s consent to this transfer would be to mislead. Completely !
As a reminder, even Kpatcha’s lawyers were surprised by this new development, a sign that they were not the initiators of any procedure that led to this. Incidentally, they had exhausted their means of recourse in this case, without action.
This being the case, should we boast hic et nunc? Too early, even if it is easy to perceive through this news, the sign of the beginning of a thaw.
So all the credit goes to whoever made the evacuation possible. And, no doubt, to Ali Bongo, whose diplomacy is paying off in this political-legal-family case and who intends to work towards a total rapprochement between the two brothers.
