This is a question from someone with extensive experience both in Africa and on the political scene.
In terms of what is causing instability in the sub-region, the factors in play vary from one country to the other. Togo, for example, was led by a single party for 30 or more years. That left the impression that power sharing was inadequate. I must say as well, because this is what I truly believe, that colonialization also bears part of the responsibility. Indeed, a country is considered somewhat differently depending on whether it is in the south or the north. The south, which has a much larger population, felt that the time had come for it, too, to exercise authority, authority that had very often been exercised by the north. I believe that it all began there.
Of course, the elections compounded the problem, and when President Eyadéma died, you know who his successor was. It was very difficult. That was when President Compaoré was asked to act as mediator. That is what made it possible to hold elections in 2005, which occurred in very difficult circumstances. Many people died. Fortunately, the mediation continued and elections were held on March 4, 2010, with very little violence. Of course, we are not there yet, but overall, things went well. All the observers acknowledged that. President Faure Gnassingbé will be sworn in and take office on May 3, in anticipation of the opening of the second legislature.
That situation is different from the one in Niger, for example, where, as you know, President Tandja has decided to give himself the means to extend his mandate, contrary to the Constitution. He dissolved the National Assembly, the Supreme Court and the Independent National Electoral Commission, then held a referendum for which voter turnout was extremely low. That led to the results we are aware of. There was a coup d'État—there is no other way of describing it. I believe elections will be held in a year at most, fortunately. The reasons for these events are different again, compared to Togo. There was clearly a determination to violate the fundamental law of the country—the Constitution. Amending its provisions was prohibited.
The situation is different, once again, in Côte d'Ivoire. As you know, there is still the issue of the north and south. There was a civil war and other events of which you are aware. The situation in Guinea is different again. Generally speaking, I would say that the reasons are as follows: its colonial past, non-collaborative power management, the relative youth of all these countries, probably, and ethnicity, in certain cases. Those are some of the causes, as I see it. Fortunately, my President is frequently invited to contribute his experience and encourage talks between the parties involved in the conflict. The fact is that, if there is no peace, it will be impossible to effectively fight poverty. Without legitimacy, there can be no good governance either.
As regards my view of political developments in the region, and even in Africa, I think things are starting to change. As a result of the vision articulated by the African Union and the ECOWAS, all unconstitutional powers are now unacceptable. Under those conditions, I think each country will tend to want to emphasize a certain recognized legitimacy, in accordance with constitutional provisions. Hence the importance of the discussions we are holding. Countries like Canada, which have experience, vision and have had a system in place for some time now, can help us to fight poverty and establish good governance. They can also provide the necessary assistance that will enable us to redistribute the wealth that is created, thereby creating greater serenity.