Togo/France

Paris expels Togolese diplomat

Article published on the 2009-12-09 Latest update 2009-12-09 14:58 TU

Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe
(Credit: Reuters)

Paris has expelled a diplomat from the embassy of Togo, the French Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday, after Eric Bosc, the First Secretary of the French Embassy in Lomé, was reportedly told to leave. He was accused of having close ties to Togolese presidential candidate Kofi Yamgnane, who has dual citizenship.

Bosc had "never overstepped his mandate" and had shown "a high degree of professionalism in his contacts with all legal political parties," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bernard Valero.

Yamgnane, 64, is to be a candidate in Togo's February 2010 presidential elections and will challenge the current president Faure Gnassingbe, who has been in power since 2005.

Yamgnane has had close ties to the French government, as he served as Secretary of State for Integration in France under François Mitterrand from 1991 to 1993.

He was also a Socialist deputy in Finistère, in western France, from 1997 to 2002. He moved back to Togo one year ago.