Pascal Bodjona

Pascal Akoussoulèlou Bodjona (born 17 May 1966 ) is a Togolese politician who served in the government of Togo as Minister of State for Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Local Collectivities, as well as Government Spokesman, from 2007 to 2012. Previously he was Ambassador to the United States from 1998 to 2005 and Director of the Presidential Cabinet from 2005 to 2007.

Early life and diplomatic career Bodjona was born in Kétao, located in Binah Prefecture. After attending school in Kétao and Lomé, the capital, he went to the United States to study at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He was appointed as Special Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in 1994 before being appointed to the Embassy of Togo to the United States in 1995 Bodjona presented his credentials as Ambassador to US President Bill Clinton on 27 May 1998; he also served concurrently as Ambassador to Brazil. Bodjona remained in his diplomatic post for seven years, becoming the Dean of the West African Diplomatic Corps in Washington DC. As candidate spokesman, he condemned the violence that surrounded the election and rejected opposition accusations that the RPT engaged in electoral fraud and misconduct.

After Gnassingbé's victory, Bodjona was appointed as Director of the Cabinet of President of the Republic in May 2005. He remained in that post for over two and a half years. Following the October 2007 parliamentary election, Bodjona was appointed as Minister of State for Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Local Collectivities, as well as Government Spokesman, on 13 December 2007.

The Togolese football team was ambushed and attacked by rebels in Angola in January 2010, and consequently the team withdrew from the African Cup of Nations to observe a period of mourning. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) then banned the team from playing in the next two tournaments and fined it $50,000. Speaking for the government after CAF's decision, Bodjona expressed outrage, saying that CAF had "no consideration for the lives of other human beings" and that the decision was "insulting to the family of those who lost their lives and those traumatised because of the attack." He also said that the government would take legal action.

Activities in the RPT Bodjona is a member of the RPT Political Bureau and is the RPT's National Secretary for Political Affairs.