West African leaders on Tuesday urged Togo's political parties to work together to end a national crisis, insisting that presidential elections should be free and fair and promising help to organise the vote. The call came as officials said five bodies had been found in an opposition stronghold in Togo's capital Lome, the scene of anti-government protests earlier this week. It was not immediately clear who the people were or how they died. The presidents of Niger and Mali and top officials from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said they backed the need for presidential elections in 60 days. "They called on all parties to adopt an attitude that favours national reconciliation and compromise to guarantee the success of the interim period (before elections)," the leaders said in a statement after visiting the former French colony. Togo was plunged into political upheaval last month after the death of President Gnassingbe Eyadema, who had ruled the West African nation for 38 years. The army named his son, Faure Gnassingbe, as leader just hours after his death, triggering an international outcry, African sanctions and opposition protests. --More 2228 Local Time 1928 GMT
