Latest news with #Gnassingbe
DW
6 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Is Togo's 'constitutional coup' a blueprint for dictators? – DW – 08/08/2025
Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe has cemented his power by creating a new position. Political observers say Africa's other long-time rulers could replicate the move in a bid to prolong their leadership. In May, President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo stepped down from his post. Since then, Jean-Lucien Savi de Tove has been president. But Gnassingbe has not relinquished power. Instead, he is now president of the Council of Ministers, a new body created following a constitutional amendment. Most of Gnassingbe's previous presidential powers have been transferred to his new position, leaving President de Tove serving as a ceremonial head of state. The opposition and civil rights activists call it a "constitutional coup"—because Gnassingbe's new position is not elected, but appointed by the strongest faction in parliament. Gnassingbe's UNIR party (Union for the Republic) has a comfortable majority there. There are no term limits, and Gnassingbe could rule indefinitely without ever having to stand for direct election again. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "That is really the biggest problem because the recent riot that happened in the country was not just about the arrest of the people, it was simply becausepeople are fed up with this family which is controlling the country for more than 50 years now," Pape Ibrahima Kane, director of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) in Dakar, told DW. He said the Gnassingbe family wields control over all aspects of Togo's governance structures, including the parliament. The Togolese government has disregarded the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, Kane added. The Charter, signed off by the African Union (AU) in 2007, came into effect in 2012. The document says member states should aim, through regular, free and fair elections, to legitimize representative government and democratic transfers of power. However, the charter has so far had no impact on the balance of power in Togo, where the Gnassingbe family has ruled the country for 58 years. Faure Gnassingbe took power in 2005 from his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who had ruled for almost four decades. With his latest move, he has further consolidated power. "This is undoubtedly a terrible development for the Togolese people," Fredson Guilenge of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Johannesburg, told DW. Observers fear Gnassingbe might just be the first African leader to use a constitutional amendment to cement their power without having to answer the electorate. "That fact that it will inspire other leaders to change the constitution in order to maintain themselves in power is a worrying truth," Togolese human rights lawyer Esso-Dong Divin Aymard Kongah said. "This is a worrying trend regarding democracy, human rights, and civic space, because all this is leading to a shrinking civic space where people are having less and less power to influence the way public affairs are being done," he told DW. Gnassingbe's political move is nothing new. Several other African leaders have sought to change the constitution to remain in power. President Faustin-Archange Touadera had the constitution amended so he could run for a third term in the Central African Republic's late 2025 election. In January 2026, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, 80, will seek to be re-elected for the seventh time, after he pushed for the removal of age limits for presidential candidates in 2017. Cameroon's 92-year-old President Paul Biya is aiming for an eighth term, at the end of which he would be 99 years old. President Denis Sassou-Nguesso has ruled the Republic of Congo for 41 years. Ivory Coast heads to the polls in October 2025, where 83-year-old Alassane Ouattara has announced another election bid, after he too sought a constitutional amendment, which began in 2016. The world's longest-serving head of state is Equatorial Guinea's 83-year-old Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Widely regarded by political analysts, international watchdogs, and rights activists as a dictator, Nguema has been in office since 1979. Systemic repression of the opposition in those countries has allowed their leaders to hold on to power. When younger generations demand political change, protests are violently crushed. In Togo, at least seven people were killed when demonstrators demanded the government's resignation over the constitutional amendment and a disputed local election. Human rights organizations have for years accused the Togolese state of repressing freedom of speech and gatherings. Fredson Guilenge warns that events in Togo may have been inspired by the rise of the junta-led governments of the Sahel countries. Between 2020 and 2023, there were six military coups in West Africa. The military rulers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have chosen to work with Russia over former colonial power France. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video While the junta governments have not ruled out a return to civilian rule and democracy, efforts to establish a transition have not materialized, says Guilenge. For instance, in July, Mali's leader Assimi Goita gave himself a five-year leadership extensionwithout the prospects of an election. Similar moves might be tempting for countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, or Equatorial Guinea, Guilenge told DW. But he says the risk varies across the continent. A further threat to liberal democracy, he adds, is the current global context, which has seen the erosion of democracy and multilateralism. "The world is becoming so divided, which might allow leaders to operate without major pressure when it comes to their undemocratic decisions."
Morocco World
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Togo Opens Up Municipal Elections Post Protests
Rabat – The West African nation of Togo voted in local and municipal elections, on Thursday. This comes after a series of violent protests over the last month. Polling stations were opened at the nation's police stations on July 17, for the local elections to vote in the countries 117 municipal localities . There was heavy security centered around the nation's capital to try and secure the vote, and make sure that citizens could reach polling stations. Despite this, due to a large boycott of the election by protestors and the opposition, Togo's capital was largely deserted by citizens, and many have commented on the historically low voter turnout . 'People are afraid of being attacked by protestors for legitimizing these elections or afraid of being dispersed by security forces, they feel it is pointless to vote because the results are always the same and pre-determined,' a member of the human rights organization within the country stated. However, due to the heavy police presence and atmosphere of fear that has swept the country, electoral observers commented on the peaceful nature of the vote. This marks the first vote that has taken place since Faure Gnassingbe reformed the constitution and allowed himself to take power for life. Gnassingbe has been in charge of Togo serving as the country's dynastic strongman since his father's death in 2005. He was elected earlier this year as the president of the council of ministers, a new position that effectively has no term limits. Social media influencers and civil society groups have labelled the new policies by the Gnassingbe government as authoritarian and a constitutional coup d'etat. This contributed to large-scale protests which have taken place throughout June, leading to violent clashes with the police. The protesters, part of the M66 movement, have been calling for the removal of the president and mobilized against authoritarianism in the country. The police have responded by arresting, beating and even killing protestors. Around seven individuals have also been abducted and extrajudicially killed and dumped in rivers around the capital. The government claims that they drowned. These elections signify a dark moment for democracy in Togo, as the government takes more control over the nation's institutions. Tags: authoritarianismFaure Gnassingbetogo electionstogo protests
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Togo votes in local elections amid outburst of public anger: What to know
Tensions are palpable in the West African nation of Togo as highly anticipated local government elections are being held following weeks of angry protests calling for leader Faure Gnassingbe to resign. Although small, Togo commands weight as a developing maritime and transit hub in the region because of an important port in the seaside capital, Lome, which is perched on the edge of the Atlantic. The country serves as a gateway into inland Sahel nations and is also home to a major West African airline, meaning unrest there could reverberate across the region. Voters heading out to cast their ballots on Thursday, July 17, are expected to elect leaders of the country's 117 municipalities, amid a heavier-than-usual security presence and shuttered land borders. At the same time, demonstrators have scheduled protests in the capital, Lome, to intentionally clash with the date of the vote, prompting fears of possible widespread violence. Led largely by the country's youth population, antigovernment demonstrations erupted in June after a controversial constitutional change. Protests have been met with brute force from Togolese security forces; at least seven people have died, local rights groups say. The protests are only the latest in the restive country, where more frequent demonstrations in recent years are pressuring the decades-long dynastic government. Here's what to know about the current political situation in Togo: Why are Togolese protesting? Large demonstrations have been held in Lome in recent years, with Togolese calling for Gnassingbe, who has led the country since 2005, to step down. Between 2017 and 2018, thousands of protesters took to the streets in demonstrations tagged 'Faure Must Go' and 'Togo stands up'. The uprising rocked the nation of four million and resulted in violent crackdowns from security officials. The government thereafter banned public demonstrations for 'security reasons'. Although officially a democracy, Togo operates in practice as a militarised state, with the army heavily involved in politics. The capital is crawling with stern-faced, armed gendarmes who are often accused of arresting and torturing dissidents. This year's bout of protests was triggered after popular rapper and TikToker Tchala Essowe Narcisse, popularly known as Aamron, was arrested for publishing a video where he called for protests to mark the president's June 6 birthday. However, anger had been simmering over the high costs of living in the country, and particularly, over new constitutional reforms that opposition leaders and civil society organisations say could see Gnassingbe rule for life. Thursday's municipal elections will be the first polls held under the new reforms. First approved in April 2024 by a parliament dominated by the governing Union pour le Republic (UNIR) party, the constitutional amendment swapped the presidential system in the country for a parliamentary one. Controversially, though, it also introduced a new all-powerful position: President of the Council of Ministers. The role essentially regains all the powers of a president and is without clear official limits. Opposition leaders argued at the time that it would allow Gnassingbe to appoint a dummy president and remain the de facto leader until at least 2030. They called it a 'constitutional coup'. On May 3 this year, Gnassingbe was sworn into the new executive role, as critics predicted. Politician Jean-Lucien Savi de Tove, 86, is now president, and is the oldest in Togo's history. In late June, thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of Lome in anger, calling for Gnassingbe to step down from office after rapper Aamron's arrest and alleged torture. Protesters set up barricades and hurled stones at security forces, who responded with force, firing tear gas canisters into the crowd, according to reporting by the Reuters news agency. Le Front Citoyen Togo Debout, a coalition of 12 civil society and human rights groups, accused security officials of arbitrarily arresting civilians, beating them with batons and ropes, and stealing and destroying private property. At least seven people were discovered dead in the aftermath of the protests, according to the coalition, including two minors. Their bodies were discovered days after the demonstrations in various lagoons and lakes around Lome. Meanwhile, a Togolese government statement said the deaths were caused by drowning and cautioned residents living near water bodies to be extra careful in the current rainy season. The 'Don't Touch My Constitution' movement demanded an international investigation into the claims, while Togo's Catholic Bishops said the levels of violence were 'unacceptable and unjustified'. Who is Faure Gnassingbe? Just days after his father died in 2005, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe was hurriedly installed as the country's president by the army, extending decades of his family's rule over Togo. Despite outrage in the country, which led to widespread protests in which at least 500 people were killed, the younger Gnassingbe did not relinquish power and went on to organise and win elections that year, which many critics called a ruse. His father, the late Gnassingbe Eyadema, seized power in a military coup and ruled the country with a tight fist for 38 years (1967-2005), making him the longest-serving African ruler at the time he died. His 'rule of terror' was characterised by a one-party system and deadly repression of dissent, according to Amnesty International. The younger Gnassingbe, while having fostered multi-party rule and infrastructural development in the country, appears to be angling for his father's record, critics say. Combined, the father-son duo has commandeered Togo for 58 years. With 60 percent of the population under 35, most Togolese have never experienced life under a different political administration. Gnassingbe has won every election since 2005. In 2019, in an attempt to circumvent demonstrations calling for his resignation, parliament ushered in constitutional amendments that, the government argued, automatically reset Gnassingbe's terms. That allowed him to run for the 2020 and 2025 presidential elections. At first glance, the latest reforms from 2024 appear to acquiesce to what some critics have been demanding: A weakened president elected by the parliament for a single six-year term, rather than an all-powerful leader. However, what most did not see coming was that Gnassingbe would be appointed to a more powerful position. Are protesters being targeted? And what is the M66 Movement? As tensions simmer, demonstrators and civil society accuse Togolese officials of targeting protest leaders, many of whom are living in exile in neighbouring countries, as well as France and the United States. Last week, the government issued international arrest warrants targeting those believed to be leading organisers, especially members of the M66 Citizens' Movement – a political collective of bloggers and activists, named after Gnassingbe's June 6 birthday date. Officials say the group is 'inciting unrest and terrorism' in the country. 'The countries where these individuals reside are urged to cooperate,' Security Minister Calixte Madjoulba said at a news briefing. 'Wherever they are, we will pursue them.' M66 members called for renewed protests on July 16 and 17 in a bid to boycott the municipal elections, which form part of a wider push by the government to devolve power at the centre and attempt to improve local governance. Local elections were not held between 1986 and 2020, as the government kept postponing them. Instead, the central authorities designated special administrators who critics say served the government's interests. Some opposition leaders have also called for boycotts, although Jean-Pierre Fabre, leader of the main opposition National Alliance for Change, told reporters this week that taking part in the vote was necessary to show Togolese what's possible. 'The elections will not change anything in this country and we know it very well,' Zaga Bambo, a France-based music artist who claims to be a member of the group, said in a Facebook post. Bambo also dismissed the arrest warrants, telling French media channel RFI that he was unfazed by it. Activist Farida Nabourema echoed calls for boycotts on social media platform X. 'You participate, you lose, you cry out, then you fall silent. And every five years, you start over,' she the daily Crossword
DW
01-07-2025
- Politics
- DW
Togo: Rights groups report several killed in demonstrations – DW – 07/01/2025
Togolese civil society groups have called for an investigation after they said several people were killed during anti-government protests in the capital. Several people were killed during anti-government demonstrations over the weekend in Togo's capital, Lome, according to civil society groups. The unrest comes as Togo's long-time leader, Faure Gnassingbe, is positioned to remain in power indefinitely following controversial constitutional reforms. A grouping of civil society organizations and opposition parties in the West African country under the banner of "Don't Touch my Constitution" said security forces assaulted protesters. Reuters news agency, citing witnesses, said security forces used tear gas and batons. The civil society groups said that seven people died during the protests, adding that several bodies were found in lakes and lagoons. The groups issued a statement denouncing "abuses committed by elements of the security forces and militia" during the protests, and called for an "international investigation." Togolese authorities did not comment on the reports of violence against protesters at the hands of security forces. The government acknowledged in a statement Sunday that bodies were recovered from a lagoon and lake in the capital, but said the victims died from drowning. The demonstrations over the weekend were the second in a month, after authorities clamped down on protesters in early June. About 50 arrests were reported by the authorities on June 5 and 6. Another call to demonstrate was made for Tuesday. Demonstrations in Togo have been banned since a deadly attack in 2022 at a market in Lome. However, fears over democratic backsliding after the recent reforms have sparked protest. In May, Gnassingbe was sworn into the powerful new role of President of the Council of Ministers, which has no fixed term limit. Opposition politicians denounced the move as a "constitutional coup." Gnassingbe former job as president has now been rendered mostly ceremonial. He has ruled Togo since 2005, having taken over as president from his father Gnassingbe view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Reuters
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Seven killed during Togo protests, civil society groups say
LOME, June 30 (Reuters) - Seven people were killed during anti-government protests in Togo last week, said human rights activists, who accused security forces of using "shocking violence" against protesters. The protests calling for the resignation of longtime leader Faure Gnassingbe amid what government critics describe as a cost of living crisis began last Thursday. Reuters witnesses saw soldiers use tear gas and batons to disperse them. A joint statement by 12 Togolese civil society and human rights groups also accused security forces of carrying out arbitrary arrests, beating civilians with batons and ropes and stealing and destroying private property. The groups said three bodies, two of them minors, were found on Friday in Be lagoon, east of the capital Lome. They said the bodies of two brothers were found on the same day in a lake in Lome's Akodessewa district. And they said two more bodies were discovered on Saturday in Nyekonakpoe, also in Lome. A government statement dated Sunday acknowledged bodies were recovered from Be lagoon and the Akodessewa lake but said the deaths were due to drowning. "The government expresses its sympathy to bereaved families and reminds all residents near water bodies to observe safety rules around water areas, especially during this rainy season," the statement said. The protests were part of persistent political strife in Togo, where in May Gnassingbe took the powerful new role of President of the Council of Ministers that has no fixed term limit. Civil society groups say the new title for Gnassingbe, whose family has ruled Togo since 1967, is another indication of democratic backsliding in West Africa, a region known for coups and leaders entrenching themselves in power for generations. Hodabalo Awate, Togo's minister of territorial administration, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the handling of the protests. Sunday's government statement commended the security forces' response and said there had been "several" arrests. Togolese authorities arrested dozens of people on June 5-6 during protests against Gnassingbe's new role in what Amnesty International described as a crackdown on dissent. Many were quickly released, the rights group said.
