Latest news with #HodabaloAwate
The Sun
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Togo groups say recent protests left 7 dead
LOME: At least seven people were killed and many others wounded during recent anti-government protests in the Togolese capital Lome, according to an initial count civic groups gave journalists Sunday. Campaigning groups and rights organisations denounced 'abuses committed by members of the Togolese security forces and militias', and said seven bodies had been recovered from rivers in the capital. They also reported 'dozens of wounded' and 'more than 60 arrests during the three days of demonstrations held from Thursday to Saturday. The Togolese authorities, who have yet to provide an official toll from the recent protests, on Sunday denied the deaths were linked to the unrest. 'Forensic analysis revealed that these deaths occurred as a result of drowning,' the government said in a statement, without commenting on the number of bodies recovered. 'I would like to congratulate our fellow citizens for their good behaviour and also the professionalism of our security forces, and above all, to reassure them that the government will take all necessary measures to protect Togolese citizens,' Hodabalo Awate, minister of territorial administration, said on state television Sunday evening. 'Unacceptable' Earlier, David Dosseh of 'Front Citoyen Togo Debout' told AFP that 'we are in a country where citizens still have the right to go out, to express themselves.' 'They should not face this state-imposed brutality, it is unacceptable,' he added. 'We are not animals, we are sons of this country, and as sons and citizens of this country, the Constitution gives us the right to express ourselves and to demonstrate peacefully.' Protests are rare in Togo, where President Faure Gnassingbe has maintained his grip on power since 2005, succeeding his father who ruled for nearly four decades. But on Thursday morning, small pockets of up to dozens of protesters blocked streets, burned tyres and wooden barricades in the capital, where many businesses remained closed. People have been protesting against a crackdown on critical voices, rising electricity prices and a constitutional reform that allowed Gnassingbe, now 59, to further consolidate his power. On June 5 and 6, police arrested about 50 protesters, mainly young people. Most have since been released but Amnesty International has denounced cases of alleged 'torture'. The government responded that it had not been officially informed of such abuses and condemned protesters' 'clear will to sow disorder and chaos'. In mid-June, Togo blocked France 24 television and Radio France Internationale for three months, accusing the outlets of having relayed 'inaccurate and biased statements' following the early June protests.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Togo groups say recent protests left 7 dead
At least seven people were killed and many others wounded during recent anti-government protests in the Togolese capital Lome, according to an initial count civic groups gave journalists Sunday. Campaigning groups and rights organisations denounced "abuses committed by members of the Togolese security forces and militias", and said seven bodies had been recovered from rivers in the capital. They also reported "dozens of wounded" and "more than 60 arrests during the three days of demonstrations held from Thursday to Saturday. The Togolese authorities, who have yet to provide an official toll from the recent protests, on Sunday denied the deaths were linked to the unrest. "Forensic analysis revealed that these deaths occurred as a result of drowning," the government said in a statement, without commenting on the number of bodies recovered. "I would like to congratulate our fellow citizens for their good behaviour and also the professionalism of our security forces, and above all, to reassure them that the government will take all necessary measures to protect Togolese citizens," Hodabalo Awate, minister of territorial administration, said on state television Sunday evening. - 'Unacceptable' - Earlier, David Dosseh of "Front Citoyen Togo Debout" told AFP that "we are in a country where citizens still have the right to go out, to express themselves." "They should not face this state-imposed brutality, it is unacceptable," he added. "We are not animals, we are sons of this country, and as sons and citizens of this country, the Constitution gives us the right to express ourselves and to demonstrate peacefully." Protests are rare in Togo, where President Faure Gnassingbe has maintained his grip on power since 2005, succeeding his father who ruled for nearly four decades. But on Thursday morning, small pockets of up to dozens of protesters blocked streets, burned tyres and wooden barricades in the capital, where many businesses remained closed. People have been protesting against a crackdown on critical voices, rising electricity prices and a constitutional reform that allowed Gnassingbe, now 59, to further consolidate his power. On June 5 and 6, police arrested about 50 protesters, mainly young people. Most have since been released but Amnesty International has denounced cases of alleged "torture". The government responded that it had not been officially informed of such abuses and condemned protesters' "clear will to sow disorder and chaos". In mid-June, Togo blocked France 24 television and Radio France Internationale for three months, accusing the outlets of having relayed "inaccurate and biased statements" following the early June protests. ek/gv/jj
France 24
17 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
Togo groups say recent protests left 7 dead
Togo's Gendarmerie has so far only reported two deaths, from drowning Campaigning groups and rights organisations denounced "abuses committed by members of the Togolese security forces and militias", and said seven bodies had been recovered from rivers in the capital. They also reported "dozens of wounded" and "more than 60 arrests during the three days of demonstrations held from Thursday to Saturday. The Togolese authorities, who have yet to provide an official toll from the recent protests, on Sunday denied the deaths were linked to the unrest. "Forensic analysis revealed that these deaths occurred as a result of drowning," the government said in a statement, without commenting on the number of bodies recovered. "I would like to congratulate our fellow citizens for their good behaviour and also the professionalism of our security forces, and above all, to reassure them that the government will take all necessary measures to protect Togolese citizens," Hodabalo Awate, minister of territorial administration, said on state television Sunday evening. 'Unacceptable' Earlier, David Dosseh of "Front Citoyen Togo Debout" told AFP that "we are in a country where citizens still have the right to go out, to express themselves." "They should not face this state-imposed brutality, it is unacceptable," he added. "We are not animals, we are sons of this country, and as sons and citizens of this country, the Constitution gives us the right to express ourselves and to demonstrate peacefully." Protests are rare in Togo, where President Faure Gnassingbe has maintained his grip on power since 2005, succeeding his father who ruled for nearly four decades. But on Thursday morning, small pockets of up to dozens of protesters blocked streets, burned tyres and wooden barricades in the capital, where many businesses remained closed. People have been protesting against a crackdown on critical voices, rising electricity prices and a constitutional reform that allowed Gnassingbe, now 59, to further consolidate his power. On June 5 and 6, police arrested about 50 protesters, mainly young people. Most have since been released but Amnesty International has denounced cases of alleged "torture". The government responded that it had not been officially informed of such abuses and condemned protesters' "clear will to sow disorder and chaos". In mid-June, Togo blocked France 24 television and Radio France Internationale for three months, accusing the outlets of having relayed "inaccurate and biased statements" following the early June protests. © 2025 AFP
Int'l Business Times
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Togo Groups Say Recent Protests Left 7 Dead
At least seven people were killed and many others wounded during recent anti-government protests in the Togolese capital Lome, according to an initial count civic groups gave journalists Sunday. Campaigning groups and rights organisations denounced "abuses committed by members of the Togolese security forces and militias", and said seven bodies had been recovered from rivers in the capital. They also reported "dozens of wounded" and "more than 60 arrests during the three days of demonstrations held from Thursday to Saturday. The Togolese authorities, who have yet to provide an official toll from the recent protests, on Sunday denied the deaths were linked to the unrest. "Forensic analysis revealed that these deaths occurred as a result of drowning," the government said in a statement, without commenting on the number of bodies recovered. "I would like to congratulate our fellow citizens for their good behaviour and also the professionalism of our security forces, and above all, to reassure them that the government will take all necessary measures to protect Togolese citizens," Hodabalo Awate, minister of territorial administration, said on state television Sunday evening. Earlier, David Dosseh of "Front Citoyen Togo Debout" told AFP that "we are in a country where citizens still have the right to go out, to express themselves." "They should not face this state-imposed brutality, it is unacceptable," he added. "We are not animals, we are sons of this country, and as sons and citizens of this country, the Constitution gives us the right to express ourselves and to demonstrate peacefully." Protests are rare in Togo, where President Faure Gnassingbe has maintained his grip on power since 2005, succeeding his father who ruled for nearly four decades. But on Thursday morning, small pockets of up to dozens of protesters blocked streets, burned tyres and wooden barricades in the capital, where many businesses remained closed. People have been protesting against a crackdown on critical voices, rising electricity prices and a constitutional reform that allowed Gnassingbe, now 59, to further consolidate his power. On June 5 and 6, police arrested about 50 protesters, mainly young people. Most have since been released but Amnesty International has denounced cases of alleged "torture". The government responded that it had not been officially informed of such abuses and condemned protesters' "clear will to sow disorder and chaos". In mid-June, Togo blocked France 24 television and Radio France Internationale for three months, accusing the outlets of having relayed "inaccurate and biased statements" following the early June protests.
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Security forces disperse Togo protesters demanding president's resignation
Security forces used tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters who blocked roads in Togo's capital to demand the resignation of longtime leader Faure Gnassingbe. Hundreds of protesters set up concrete block barricades on Thursday in several neighbourhoods of Lome, with some burning tyres and throwing projectiles at security forces. Police dispersed dozens of the protesters with tear gas and arrested several people in the Be neighbourhood, an opposition stronghold. The protests come as Gnassingbe faces increasing calls from critics to resign, over changes to the country's constitution that could keep him in power indefinitely. Civil society groups and social media influencers had called for protests from June 26-28, after the government's clampdown on protests earlier this month. A heavy police presence was set up throughout the capital, where many businesses closed for the day. Military jeeps were also deployed as reinforcements in some areas. 'We're hungry. Nothing works for Togolese youth any more, that's why we're going out to protest this morning,' said Kossi Albert, a 30-year-old unemployed man, adding that he was planning to turn out again on Friday. Hodabalo Awate, Togo's minister of territorial administration, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the security forces' response to the protests. A coalition of political groups known as 'Hands Off My Constitution' said in a Facebook post on Wednesday it 'strongly urges Faure Gnassingbe to immediately and unconditionally release all of the roughly one hundred political prisoners, and to take urgent measures to restore purchasing power to the population'. It called for an 'unprecedented peaceful demonstration'. Gnassingbe, who has ruled since 2005 after the death of his father, was in May sworn in as president of the Council of Ministers. The powerful role has no official term limits. Opposition politicians have denounced the move as a 'constitutional coup' that could extend his rule for life. Togolese authorities arrested dozens of people earlier this month during protests against Gnassingbe's new role as well as what critics described as a crackdown on dissent and a cost-of-living crisis, according to Amnesty International. Many were quickly released, the rights group said. Demonstrations are rare in Togo because they have been banned in the country since 2022, following a deadly attack at Lome's main market. But the latest change in government structure has been widely criticised in a region that has witnessed coups and other threats to democracy.
