--- Received from WPS.RYARL 223-5923               10-27-99  432p

                    World: Africa

             Togo bans provocative dance

The dance craze has swept the coastal states of West Africa

Togo has banned a popular and provocative dance called the Mapouka
in a bid to protect moral standards. When dancing the Mapouka,
practitioners - normally young women - arch their backs in a
suggestive pose and then swing their bottoms to the rhythm.

Togo's youth minister, Horatios Freitas, said banning the dance
would protect the country's youth.  "Togo has many concerns about
the development of its youth. We will not let them be depraved by
this pseudo-culture," Mr Freitas said.  The minister said anyone
who broke the ban would face punishment - but he gave no details
of what the punishment would be.

                Craze swept West Africa

The Mapouka first became popular in the Ivory Coast, where it
developed as the modern version of a traditional dance.

The dance has since become a sensation in West Africa's coastal
states.  Supporters of the dance were planning a concert at
Lome municipal stadium on 29 October.  This is not the first time
the dance has been banned. In March 1998, authorities in the Ivory
Coast banned video clips of the dance from being aired on national
television, saying the Mapouka "was not in line with good
behaviour".

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