Togo Team Bus Attack: Victims’ Families Accuse Government Of Neglect

Families of the Togo national team bus attack victims have accused the government for failing to fulfil its promise of compensating them.

On January 8, 2011, Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda rebels ambushed Togolese convoy as it drove into Angola from neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

Bus driver Mario Adjoua, assistant manager Abalo Amelete and media officer Stanislas Ocloo were killed.

After the incident, the Togolese government promised compensation for the survivors and their families.

However, 10 years down the road, some of them feel their plight has been ignored, if not forgotten and want the government to intervene and help them rebuild their lives.

Through a press statement issued on Tuesday, January 7, the families of the victims insist that the government promised material and psychological support, but none has happened.

“From the bottom of our hearts, we are launching an SOS here to all people of goodwill who would like to bring us any assistance to us in order to dust off this dramatic Cabinda file,” reads part of the statement as translated from French.

“The memory of the drama of Cabinda in Angola always remains vivid in our memories…The Minister of Sports must take personal responsibility and address this failure of the national government.”

The West African nation will commemorate ten years since the attack this Wednesday, with the main mass set to take place at St Fatima Church of Avedji in Lome.

Togo withdrew from the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations which plunged the organisation of the tournament into chaos. They were due to play Ghana in Cabinda three days after but that match was cancelled.

Their action prompted Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) to impose a four-year ban on the team.

The suspension was later lifted following intervention of then FIFA president Sepp Blatter after Togo filed an appeal at Court of Arbitration for Sport.