The president of the Government of Santo Tomé denied this Wednesday any involvement in the assault on the headquarters of the Armed Forces, which occurred on November 25, accused the opponents of creating “a smokescreen”, and said he expected the result “in peace” . of investigations
“I don’t know how a government with an absolute majority, 11 days after taking office, with all those responsible for the defense services and security forces appointed by the previous government, tries to carry out a coup against oneselfI don’t know with what objectives”, said, in an interview with Lusa, Patrice Trovoada, who is in Lisbon for meetings with the national authorities.
The head of government thus responded to accusations by opponents that he was behind the events of november 25in which four people died, described by the Sao Tome authorities as an “attempted coup d’état” and condemned by the international community.
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Patrice Trovoada recalled that he took office on November 11 and his government took office three days later, “with a catastrophic economic and financial situationbut with very comfortable popular support, and with good dispositions from the international community”.
“Our fundamental objective is to build a better country for the Santotomenses, but above all for those most in need. What’s my problem with getting involved in this macabre scenario… anyway, how could I…? I don’t know, honestly. I cannot understand what is behind these smears.“he commented.
The accusations, he said, are “a smoke screen, which does not serve the protagonists of the smoke screen.”
Patrice Trovoada recalled that, hours after the events, his government asked Portugal for support in the investigationwhich sent members of the Judicial Police and the Institute of Legal Medicine, as well as the United Nations and the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC).
“Why would we do it if we were in charge of all this?” he asked.
Assuring that his executive “is far from any interference in the work of the judicial bodies in this process,” he said that his “concern is calmly let the investigation do its work and create all the conditions for this work to be done with objectivity and serenity”.
Patrice Trovoada told Lusa that he was in Lisbon to “first of all thank Portugal for the quick help” for the investigation after the events of the 25th.
“It really is a very important help for the system, for the stability in São Tomé and Príncipe, so that everyone is comfortable when we start to be aware of the preliminary reports,” he said.
This Tuesday, the head of government of São Tomé was received by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, from whom he said he wanted to hear advice.
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“For me, also on a personal level, it is a delicate situation that we are experiencing in Sao Tome and Principe and I, as prime minister, I can not do without the advice of people who have a lot of experience. in all domains, that is, in the knowledge of human nature”, he said.
After the attack, three of the four assailants and Arlécio Costa, a former combatant of the “Buffalo Battalion” allegedly identified as the leader of the attack, died while in military custody, circulating images and videos showing that they were the target of ill-treatment.
Last Thursday, the government of São Tomé announced that it had filed a complaint with the Public Ministry to investigate the “violence and inhumane treatment” of soldiers against detainees after the attack on the headquarters of the Armed Forces.
That same day, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe resigned, denouncing “acts of treason against the homeland” and condemning the “horrible events” that led to the death of four detainees.
In the first hours after the attack, the military also arrested the former president of the National Assembly Delfim Nevespresumably identified by the attackers as also the intellectual author of the robbery.
Delfim Neves was released three days later, after appearing before the criminal investigation judge, with periodic presentation to the authorities and term of identity and residence, and denied any connection with this fact, which he described as “a setup” to accuse him. .
In addition to the information mission of ECCAS, already on the ground, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will send a team to the country this week to investigate the situation of mistreatment of detainees.
Source: Observadora
