The Togolese government and opposition finally decided to convene on Monday for a last resort at dialogue.

Discussions are expected to resolve the political crisis that has been going on for six months.

Since the advent of multiparty politics in the early 1990s, some 15 dialogues and talks have been held in Lomé, without ever leading to a political transformation.

The reform of presidential mandates and the voting system, already provided for in the 2006 Comprehensive Political Agreement has never been carried out, despite the fact that it was meant to appease a country frustrated by the violence following the election of Faure Gnassingbé.

-  Faure Gnassingbé

However, on the eve of the opening of the dialogue, suspense remains over the agenda and the stakeholders in the discussions.

In recent weeks Faure Gnassingbé‘s party has reiterated in the local media that it would be “out of the question” to discuss the immediate departure of the Head of State or a commitment on his part to leave power.