This is How American Military Aid is Being Utilized in Togo

In a paper titled "Problems of Third World Development," Dr. Walter Rodney explained that many "Third World" countries "have police and military forces which are intended to serve as means of coercion of the population, but nothing else." Togo is a classic example of this. In Togo, like in most military dictatorships, the military and police forces are not there to maintain law and order. They are there to impose the will of the dictatorship on the people and to brutalize anyone who dares to stand up against the dictatorship. It's often the case in Togo that even innocent people, including children, are targeted and killed by the military to send a message to the rest of the population.

Like most military dictatorships in Africa, the government of Togo relies on foreign governments to supply military equipment and provide military training. This is why ending the foreign support for Faure Gnassingbe is a critical component in liberating Togo from 51 years of dictatorship. In 2017, the United States provided $0.3 million in military education and training. In 2013, the U.S. Army provided training for the Togolese military. The American instructors found that the Togolese soldiers were "eager to learn."

All of the training and education that the United States provides to Togo is used to beat and kill the Togolese people. That is the only purpose that such training serves. The Togolese military does not protect Togo from any outside threats or invasions--in fact, the Togolese military is the biggest threat to the people of Togo. The Togolese military also does not uphold law and order. In fact, they are the ones who constantly violate the rights of the Togolese citizens and create disorder. It's time to put an end to these brutalities. It's time that Faure goes and it's also time that the United States stop wasting our tax money on training the soldiers of Togo so that they can kill children in defense of Faure's dictatorship.