Pressure on Togo Leader Increases

West African nations Saturday imposed an arms embargo and other sanctions on Togo, isolating the country’s new leader as thousands of protesters took to the streets to demand that he step down.

Togo’s powerful army named Faure Gnassingbe president after his father, President Gnassingbe Eyadema, died two weeks ago. The constitution was then amended to legitimize the move.

African and world leaders called the move a coup and demanded that Togo revert to its original constitution, which said the head of the national assembly should take over and an election should be held in 60 days.

Bowing to the fierce international pressure, Gnassingbe promised Friday to hold an election in two months, but indicated he would not step down before the vote.

African leaders said the pledge was not enough. The Economic Community of West African States said that it was suspending Togo from participating in the bloc’s activities, imposing a travel ban on its leaders, recalling its ambassadors and decreeing an arms embargo.

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Washington backed the embargo and sanctions.

“The United States has ended all military assistance to Togo. We are reviewing all aspects of our relations with Togo in order to identify further means of supporting the actions” of the West African organization, he said.