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Togo national football team attack

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Togo national football team bus attack
LocationCabinda Province, Angola
Date8 January 2010
TargetTogolese National Football Team and Angolan National Armed Forces
Deaths3[1]
Injured9[2]
PerpetratorsForces for the Liberation of the State of Cabinda-Military Position (FLEC-PM)

The Togo national football team bus attack was a terrorist attack on the team bus of the Togo national football team that occurred on 8 January 2010 as the team traveled from the Republic of the Congo to Angola on the way to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, due to begin on 10 January.[3] An Angolan separatist group from the province of Cabinda, the Forces for the Liberation of the State of Cabinda-Military Position (FLEC-PM), claimed responsibility for the attack.[4] The Guardian reports, however, that FLEC have since denied involvement.[5] A bus driver, the team's assistant manager Abalo Amelete, and media officer Stanislas Ocloo were killed, with several others injured.[6]

Attack

Map of Cabinda, an Angolan exclave. The main part of Angola is to the south east with the Democratic Republic of Congo in between (labelled on the map with its former name Zaire).

On 8 January 2010, the Togo national team bus was attacked by gunmen as it traveled through Congo to Angola for The African Cup of Nations.[7] The bus came under machine gun fire just after it had crossed the border from the Republic of the Congo into the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda.[8] All of Togo's initial Group B games were to take place in the Estádio Nacional do Chiazi stadium in Cabinda.

The siege lasted for at least 30 minutes.[9] The bus driver, Mário Adjoua, was killed,[10] cutting off all possible means of escape.[9] The passengers hid beneath the seats.[11] A security team of around 10 men in two cars travelling with the team returned fire with the attackers.[12]

FC Vaslui defender Serge Akakpo was badly wounded by bullets and lost blood,[13] as was goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilalé.[12] Alongside both players, Vice-President Gabriel Ameyi of the Fédération Togolaise de Football and seven members including a journalist and two team doctors were wounded.[14] Emmanuel Adebayor said the attack was, "one of the worst things I've ever been through in my life."[9] He had to carry his screaming teammates into the hospital as he was one of those least affected. Thomas Dossevi said, "It was a real hell. Twenty minutes of shots, of blood and fear," and Richmond Forson said, "The bus carrying the luggage was riddled.[15] Maybe they thought we were there. Then they opened fire, even against our coaches. It was terrible."[9] Dossevi said the team was "machine-gunned, like dogs."[9][16]

The Angolan separatist guerilla group Frente para a Libertação do Enclave de Cabinda (FLEC) has claimed responsibility for the attack.[17] A statement signed by FLEC's secretary general Rodrigues Mingas said, "This operation is just the start of a series of planned actions that will continue to take place in the whole territory of Cabinda."[18]

In connection with the deadly attack on the Togolese national football team, the Angolan police have arrested two suspects on 10 January 2010[19]. As the national radio reported, citing the prosecutor, the arrests were made in the Angolan enclave of Cabinda, between the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in West Africa is located[20].

Victims

Three people were killed and nine injured.[21]

Dead
  • Amelete Abalo – Assistant coach of the Togo national football team and manager of ASKO Kara (died on 9 January 2010, 4:00 West Africa Time)[22]
  • Stan Ocloo – press officer (died on 9 January 2010, 4:30 West Africa Time)[23]
  • Mário Adjoua – Angolan-born bus driver (died on 8 January 2010)[24]
Wounded

Aftermath

Togo has pulled out of the Cup.

The Togolese team called for a boycott of the competition as a result of the attack.[28] Alaixys Romao and Thomas Dossevi spoke of their disgust and their lack of desire to compete following their experience.[28] Togo's national football squad subsequently withdrew from the tournament. Togolese midfielder Alaixys Romao said the team was also trying to persuade the other teams in their group to pull out of the competition.[8] After seeing the aftermath of the attack, members of the Mozambique national team flying into Luanda asked for assurances of protection.[29]

Togo was due to play its first game of the tournament against Ghana, three days after the attack on 11 jan 2010.[30] STV Sport reported that Togo pulled out of the tournament a day later.[31]

Later there was something of a reversal as two of the Togolese players said they would play in the African Nations Cup in "memory of the dead."[32] Thomas Dossevi, one of the Togolese players, announced that Togo would compete "to show our national colours, our values and that we are men."[33][8] The Togolese government, however, subsequently ordered the team to return home after all, on grounds of security.[34][35]

The Organising Committee of the Africa Cup in Angola (COCAN) has raised serious allegations against the Togolese delegation; Virgilio Santos, a member of the Organisation Committee, said, "The rules were clear: No team should arrive by bus. I do not know what has led Togo to do it anyway."[36]

Reactions

Angolan government minister António Bento Bembe called it an "act of terrorism"[10], and has since stepped up security at the tournament. Martin O'Neill, manager of player Moustapha Salifou in Aston Villa, expressed his shock on the club's website.[10] Manchester City and Portsmouth football clubs expressed concerns over the safety of their players.[10] Players from other teams in Africa, such as Benni McCarthy and Momo Sissoko, condemned the attack.[37]

Danny Jordaan, organiser of the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup to be played in South Africa in June and July 2010, dismissed concerns that the attack had any relevance to the security arrangements for the World Cup.[38]

Togolese Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo ordered a three-day period of national mourning. "The government has opted for a prolonged nationwide three days of mourning period, which will begin on Monday 11 January 2010," Houngbo said on state television.[39]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Togo withdraw from Africa Cup of Nations". BBC Sport. 2010-01-09. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
  2. ^ Togos Spieler wollen nun doch zum Afrika Cup antreten
  3. ^ "Assistant coach among dead in attack on Togo team". CNN. 2010-01-09. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  4. ^ http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/01/201011025030473380.html
  5. ^ Agencies (9 January 2010). "Togo withdraw from Africa Cup of Nations after deadly gun attack". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  6. ^ Rss Liste des blessés lors de l'attaque contre le bus des Eperviers
  7. ^ "Togo footballers shot in ambush". BBC News. 2010-01-08. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  8. ^ a b c "Togo pull out of African Nations Cup after bus attack in Angola". The Daily Telegraph. 2010-01-09. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Togo football stars tell of gun attack". BBC Sport. 2010-01-08. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  10. ^ a b c d "Togo players injured, driver killed in gun attack". RTÉ Sport. 2010-01-08. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  11. ^ "Angriff auf Togos Fußballteam - Ein Toter" (in German). Transfermarkt.de. 2010-01-09. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  12. ^ a b "Togo government tells team to quit Cup of Nations". BBC Sport. 2010-01-09. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  13. ^ "Mannschaftsbus von Togo an angolanischer Grenze beschossen" (in German).
  14. ^ "2 Togo soccer players hurt in gun attack". CBC Sports. 2010-01-09. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  15. ^ Drittes Todesopfer – Togo denkt an Rückzug
  16. ^ David Smith (2010-01-08). "Emanuel Adebayor on Togo football team bus ambushed by Angola gunmen". The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  17. ^ Angola rebels FLEC claim Togo football team attack
  18. ^ Almeida, Henrique (2010-01-08). "One dead, 9 hurt in gun attack on Togo soccer team". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  19. ^ Zwei Festnahmen nach Angriff auf togolesische Fußballmannschaft
  20. ^ Togoisches Team zurück in Togo - Staatstrauer
  21. ^ CAN : les Eperviers rentrent au Togo
  22. ^ Template:De icon Zwei Tote bei Anschlag, OK erhebt Vorwürfe
  23. ^ Template:De icon Zwei Tote bei Terrorangriff auf Togo-Auswahl
  24. ^ "RFI - Cup of Nations to proceed after three die in bus attack". Rfi.fr. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  25. ^ (Agence AFP)
  26. ^ Togo sagt Afrika-Cup-Teilnahme ab
  27. ^ Togo Soccer Bus Attacked Near Angola
  28. ^ a b "Attacked Togo stars want Africa Cup of Nations boycott". BBC Sport. 2010-01-08. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  29. ^ "Africa - Togo withdraw from Africa Cup". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  30. ^ Jason Burt and Paul Kelso (2010-01-08). "Togo: we cannot play after this bloodshed". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  31. ^ Togo withdraw from Africa Cup of Nations
  32. ^ Togo tritt nach Anschlag nun doch bei Afrika-Cup an
  33. ^ http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/togo-in-dramatic-african-nations-cup-uturn-20100110-m0fu.html
  34. ^ "Emmanuel Adebayor says Togo team will return home". BBC News (Sport). 10 January 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  35. ^ "Togo team flying home after terrorist attack". The Times. 10 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ Togo soccer team bus attacked in Angola
  37. ^ Andrew Southwick and Mohammed Bhana (2010-01-08). "Benni McCarthy Leads Condemnation Of Togo Attack: Africa As A Whole Will Be Disgusted". Goal.com. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  38. ^ "World Cup boss Danny Jordaan allays security concerns". BBC Sport. 2010-01-09. Retrieved 2010-01-09. {{cite web}}: Text "F.A. Premier League Managers Phil Brown(Hull City),Avram Grant (Portsmouth F.C.) and Harry Redknapp(Tottenham Hotspurs) also brought up the security arrangements and have asked if the players from these teams would return from the tournament back to England" ignored (help)
  39. ^ Staatstrauer in Togo nach Anschlag auf Nati

Togo footballers ambushed in Angola at Wikinews

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