ESreverSE_5, Slap the (Italian-Togolese) Monster on Page One

LOMÉ, Togo – “This (smear) campaign has assumed enormous proportions for obvious electoral purposes.

Are you really convinced that the elections are enough to justify this whole set-up?” This is how a young Fabio Garriba (Roveda) explained it to Gian Maria Volonté (Bizanti), his newspaper editor in the film “Slap the Monster on Page One”. Who remembers how it continued? “But this time it wasn’t just a great network of informants, as you say – continued the finally enlightened Roveda –, but of having provided the police, the judiciary and public opinion with a ready-made culprit”. Unfortunately, together with Sergio Donati, the screenwriter, they have all left us, only their spirit remains. The story is however simple to understand. Much more than my four previous “ESreverSE” articles (translation is ongoing) linked to the story of the Italian-Togolese father Komlanvi Mawusse Allagbe known as “Essé”.

More and more people are identifying with his story. Essé is the latest victim of a shameful smear campaign for a country like Italy known throughout the world with the adjective “Bel” (“beautiful”) in front of it. Almost all of the Italian press (except Corriere della Sera, Avvenire and Sole24ore) went after him between 1 and 9 August, falsely accusing him of having “abandoned his son in Africa because he was gay and needed treatment”. Among the latest developments is the connection with the United States from where Essé received the first warning: call +39 393 970 39XX (a very “patriotic” phone number judging by the amount of “39s”). It belongs to a certain Marco Guarnieri, a weird “Milanese entrepreneur” who described himself to Essé’s Italian family as “father of Sofia, (former) schoolmate of B. (Essé’s son), linked to the late Berlusconi’s Forza Italia political party and involved in the Ius Scholae campaign”.

The first message arrived on July 22nd from a New Jersey cell phone number belonging to a certain “Mimi”, the best friend of B.’s Togolese mother (and Essé’s former partner). The first article came out on August 1st. A week to best organize a Machiavellian media campaign that lasted until August 9th. The office of Prosecutor Maria Letizia Mannella had therefore begun to collaborate with the Carabinieri of Moscova rd. in Milano after the “absurd” (as some newspapers called it) report by Guarnieri. The rest is history. This story is very reminiscent of the introduction to Marco Bellocchio’s work: “‘Slap the Monster on Page One’ highlights the close ties between the press, politics and law enforcement, telling how an important newspaper can manipulate public information and the unfolding of events themselves, to try to induce a specific reaction in the electorate.”

APPEAL

I contacted Anna Giorgi, the journalist from “Il Giorno” who was among the first to write about this story based on Guarnieri’s information. “You’re gay, you need treatment, 16-year-old abandoned in Africa by his father: vacation becomes exile,” was the title of the article. I have known Giorgi’s deputy director, Armando Stella, since they used to confused him at Corriere della Sera with the veteran Gian Antonio Stella (the latter had mentioned me in the book “Niggers, Fags, Jews & co. the Eternal WarAagainst the Other, ed. Rizzoli). I am certain that our intellectuals do not only know how to talk about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I am also convinced that the journalists of “Fanpage” will sooner or later offer a sincere and public apology. I remain in contact with the director, Francesco Cancellato, and some of his promising young colleagues including Sacha Biazzo, a meticulous investigative reporter who also trained at the Columbia University. As soon as they will realize their mistake, they will try to repair the damage caused by Fanpage's articles regarding this story.

It seems strange but several people I am in contact with are trying to remove the thick veil of hypocrisy that hinders the "Italy-Africa" ​​relationship. Let's look ourselves in the face and ask ourselves: do we really want to make this "Mattei Plan" work? For me it is not a political issue (right, left, center, etc.) but first and foremost Historical: about what we can learn from the past to improve our future. We fill ourselves with words like democracy, defense of human rights and freedom of the press, noble concepts worth fighting for. But I have not yet seen this media operation against Essé, an Italian citizen since May of this year, even in the worst African dictatorships. English speakers call it "character assassination": "A deliberate and sustained effort to damage the reputation or credibility of an individual". Nothing new or unique and it can happen to anyone at any time. Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, Jeffrey Wigand, Valerie Elise Plame, etc., there are many victims of such “media-murders” at the international level.

Essé has just returned to Milan after a few days in his home country, Togo. It was a real pleasure to meet him and understand how much our stories have in common: places, events, friends, family. He told me that he must continue to work for his new “Italian-Togolese” child, another small hope for the future of a richer and more inclusive Italy. Unfortunately by typing: “Togo-father-gay-son” on Google will forever bring up the long list of articles related to this story. I am discussing with some “Milanese” journalists to resolve this serious series of “misunderstandings”. We should be ready to fight not only for Essé and his son but for all those who love Italy and Africa. There will always people who, for various reasons, will prefer to point the finger at the individual rather than at the injustice suffered by him or her. Even those people, sooner or later, will understand.

Dear Essé, as I have told you many times, you and your family have nothing to do with this. This bad experience could have happened to anyone. I therefore want to assure you of one thing: from today you will no longer fight alone.

Matteo Fraschini Koffi