Latest news with #Lomé
BBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Togo protests: Faure Gnassingbé's dynastic power play sparks youth anger
A new constitution that has allowed Togo's long-time head of state Faure Gnassingbé to shift to a new role as all-powerful prime minister – and escape the constraint of presidential term limits – has triggered anger on the streets of the capital, Lomé. Protests are set to continue this least five demonstrators have died while confronting official security forces in recent it is not the orthodox political opposition – predictably crushed in local elections last week – that has mobilised frustrated young Togolese it is musicians, bloggers and activists who have tapped into popular anger and weariness with a regime that has been in power – under the leadership of Faure Gnassingbé or, before him – his father Gnassingbé Éyadéma, for almost six outstrips even Cameroon's 92-year old President Paul Biya - who has just confirmed his intention to stand for an eighth successive term in elections later this year – or Gabon's father-and-son presidents, Omar Bongo and Ali Bongo, latter of whom was deposed in a coup in August 2023. The lessons of that episode did not escape Faure Gnassingbé, a shrewd and often discreet operator who quickly moved to devise a new constitutional structure for Togo, to prolong his own hold on power while playing down his personal profile, in a bid to defuse accusations of dynastic will no longer need to stand for re-election in his own 59-year-old holds the premiership because his Union pour la République (Unir) party dominates the national assembly - and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, thanks to a constituency map gerrymandered to over-represent its northern heartlands and understate the voting weight of the pro-opposition coastal Bawara, Togo's civil service and labour minister, maintains the 2024 election was above board, with "all the major political actors and parties" taking part."The government cannot be held responsible for the weakness of the opposition," Bawara told BBC Focus on Africa TV last added that those with a genuine reason to demonstrate could do so within the law, blaming activists abroad for inciting "young people to attack security forces" in an attempt to destabilise the new constitutional framework was announced at short notice in early 2024 and quickly approved by the compliant government-dominated national assembly. There was no attempt to secure general public approval through a referendum.A one-year transition concluded this May as Gnassingbé – who had been head of state since 2005 – gave up the presidency and was installed in the premiership, a post now strengthened to hold all executive power and total authority over the armed occupy the presidency, a role now reduced to a purely ceremonial function, legislators chose the 86-year old former business minister, Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové. This reshuffling of the power structure was presented abroad by regime mouthpieces as moving from a strong presidential system to a supposedly more democratic "parliamentary" model – in tune with the traditions of the Commonwealth, which Togo, like Gabon, had joined in 2022, to broaden its international connections and reduce reliance on traditional francophone links with France, the former colonial transition to new constitutional arrangements designed to perpetuate Gnassingbé's rule passed off almost without outside comment from international partners whose attention is currently focussed on Gaza and Ukraine rather than was there any complaint from fellow leaders in the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), even after Togo held fresh legislative elections just weeks after the new constitution had been promulgated, in flagrant breach of the regional bloc's protocol on good governance and democracy, which says that after a change of constitution at least six months must elapse before any major election is shaken by the decision of three military-run countries - Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger - to quit Ecowas, remaining member governments are reluctant to challenge the behaviour of others in case they follow on the streets of Lomé it has been a different rapper and regime critic Essowe Tchalla, known by his stage name "Aamron", released a satirical video calling for the "celebration" of Gnassingbé's 6 June he was arbitrarily snatched from his home at the end of May by regime security agents and taken to an unknown location, anger surged among young urban Togolese. Hundreds protested on the streets of the capital on 5 and 6 June and scores were detained by government affair took a particularly sinister twist with the discovery that Aamron had been confined to a mental hospital, a measure more reminiscent of the 1970s Soviet Union than West Africa in 2025 – and the subsequent release of a hostage video –style statement in which he was filmed admitting to psychological problems and apologising to Faure Gnassingbé, remarks he has completely disowned after being released without late June brought a further wave of street protests, with the security forces confronting youths who had set up burning rights groups reported widespread random detentions, often of uninvolved passers by, while informal pro-government militia, often armed, roamed the streets in pick-up least five people were killed and two bodies were found in the lagoons north of central Lomé, though whether they had drowned while fleeing arrest or been deliberately killed was it is cultural figures like Aamron – and Honoré Sitsopé Sokpor, a poet known by his alias "Affectio" and jailed in January – who have inspired this latest upsurge in protests. They connect to young popular opinion in a way that conventional politicians much of the Togolese public appears to have lost faith in the formal political the local elections on 17 July passed off quietly, with Unir predictably dominant according to official results, Jean-Pierre Fabre, a leading opposition figure, said there were no other voters in his local polling station when he went to cast his see the new constitution as no more than a device to perpetuate the rule of the Gnassingbé dynasty – a regime variously described by West African regional media as a "republican monarchy" and "legalist authoritarianism". A leading Togolese human rights activist says popular frustration has reached unprecedented have been previous upsurges of mass 2017 the churches supported marches demanding reform while a charismatic new opposition figure, Tikpi Atchadam, mobilised young people across the previously regime-dominated the 2020 presidential election, the regime was taken aback by the strong performance of opposition challenger Agbeyomé Kodjo, who was openly backed by the much respected 89-year old former Archbishop of Lomé, Philippe Kpodzro. Although both men have since died, the political movement inspired by the late cleric remains highly active and is regularly targeted by the once again, we are seeing frustration boil over, particularly among young urban his constitutional revamp to a supposedly "parliamentary" system, Gnassingbé aims to retain full control, yet step his own personality back from the political firing that particular manoeuvre looks condemned to failure in the face of challenge from creative leaders of popular culture – bloggers, singers and grassroots social media the hashtag #FaureMustGo is now circulating. And recent weeks have seen the launch of a new campaign for change, known as M66, which stands for "6 June Movement" from the date of Gnassingbé's Melly is a consulting fellow with the Africa Programme at Chatham House in London. You may also be interested in: Three military-run states leave West African bloc - what will change?Social media revamp by 92-year-old president struggles to woo young CamerooniansHow Trump's Africa strategy may become a double-edged swordWhy Gabon's coup leader is bucking a trend by embracing democracy Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Low turnout in Togo municipal elections seen as test for the country's president
Togolese voters went to the polls on Thursday in municipal elections seen as a test for the country's leader Faure Gnassingbé, who has faced rare and deadly protests after a recent constitutional reform that could effectively keep him in power indefinitely. Polling stations remained largely deserted in Togo's capital, Lomé, reflecting widespread voter apathy and fear following the crackdown on anti-government protests that left several people dead in June. Gnassingbé, who has ruled since 2005 after the death of his father and predecessor as president, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, was sworn in as president of the Council of Ministers in May. The powerful role has no official term limits and he is eligible to be reelected by Parliament indefinitely. Diaspora-based social media influencers and civil society groups had called for a boycott of the elections, the first national vote organized since the constitutional reform. They argued that the current electoral system lacks credibility and that the recent repression has silenced dissenting voices. Police and military patrols were stationed at major intersections throughout Lomé, reinforcing a heavy security presence that many residents said contributed to the atmosphere of unease. 'I've been voting since 1998, but this year is nothing like the others,' Sémon Aboudou said outside a nearly empty voting center in the Bè neighborhood, considered an opposition stronghold. 'Even in 2019, there was more enthusiasm. Now people don't see any change coming.' 'People are afraid — afraid of being attacked by protesters for legitimizing these elections, or afraid of being dispersed by security forces,' said Edem Adjaklo, a voter in the Gakli neighborhood. 'They feel it's pointless to vote because the results are always the same — predetermined.'
The Guardian
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘One too many': rapper's arrest sparks protests against Togo's ruling dynasty
On the night last month that he and 34 other young people were arrested in the Togolese capital, Lomé, for coordinating an anti-government demonstration, Bertin Bandiangou said gendarmes beat him with ropes and slapped him. The next morning he was tortured while a commanding officer filmed proceedings. He was lucky to get out alive: at least 10 people have been killed by security officials since protests began in June calling for the resignation of the small west African country's president, Faure Gnassingbé. 'From this bitter experience, it is clear that the Togolese regime is prepared to commit the worst atrocities to retain power,' said Bandiangou, a 24-year-old student union president at the University of Lomé. With the exception of a three-month period in 2005, Togo has been ruled by the Gnassingbés since 1967, when Faure Gnassingbé's father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, took power in a bloodless coup. In February, the government hosted a flamboyant $34m memorial service for Eyadéma, who died in 2005. Observers said the ceremony, attended by five former African presidents, served as a lavish statement of the dynasty's enduring power. Then in May, Gnassingbé's power was further consolidated when he was sworn in as 'president of the council of ministers', a new post that is not subject to term limits. The swearing-in was the culmination of a process that began in March last year when parliament amended the constitution, without a referendum, to do away with presidential elections – a move described by the Touche Pas à Ma Constitution coalition as 'a coup against the Togolese people'. Though the memorial service and constitutional changes struck a nerve with young people in Togo who want political change, the spark for the recent protests was the arrest of Tchala Essowè Narcisse, a popular rapper known as Aamron, on 26 May. Aamron has built a following on TikTok, and his songs denounce corruption, economic stagnation and state neglect. His arrest followed a satirical call for a mobilisation to mark Gnassingbé's birthday. According to Célestin Kokou Agbogan, his lawyer and the president of Togo's Human Rights League, Aamron was arrested without a warrant and held incommunicado for 10 days. A video clip then surfaced in which, appearing disoriented, he claimed the state had labelled him mentally unstable and had detained him in a psychiatric facility in Zébé, just outside Lomé. Agbogan said no official charges had been filed. The opposition alliance Dynamics for Majority of the People condemned the arrest as 'unlawful, unjustified, and driven by political motives' and has called for Aamron's immediate and unconditional release. In the days after his disappearance, fans flooded social media with clips of his defiant lyrics. Then they took to the streets of Lomé, barricading roads, burning tyres and chanting 'Libérez Aamron!' and 'Togo Libre!' 'Since Faure Gnassingbé became president, any opinion that does not praise him is seen as a crime,' Bandiangou said. 'He systematically imprisons all dissenting voices. Aamron's arrest was … one too many.' Bandiangou said his aim was to mobilise people in an attempt to end the practice of arbitrary imprisonment and allow political prisoners to regain their freedom. Protesters have paid a steep price for their dissent: more than 100 have been arrested since June, and some are still missing. Amnesty International said last week it had interviewed victims and witnesses who described a series of abuses by security forces against demonstrators, including acts of torture. On 1 July, the Economic Community of West African States urged restraint and called for dialogue. Otherwise, international reaction has been muted, drowned out by geopolitical crises elsewhere. Nevertheless, diaspora communities and human rights groups are attempting to ramp up pressure on the regime, demanding sanctions and diplomatic scrutiny. Experts say beneath the anger at the constitutional changes lies a deeper well of frustration over corruption and nepotism that has been exacerbated by a scarce jobs market and a rise in the cost of living. Protests have erupted periodically for decades – usually over delayed elections, term extensions and heavy-handed crackdowns – but there are signs that discontent is widening. Civil society groups and opposition parties held demonstrations on three consecutive days in late June over a planned pan-Africanist conference – later cancelled – that they claimed would whitewash the latest power grab, while protests have also broken out in recent weeks over electricity price rises. 'Young people are exasperated by shortsighted and aimless governance, and by being held hostage by a regime incapable of providing the population with the basic necessities of life,' said Bandiangou. 'Our message is clear: we no longer want a regime that imprisons our dreams and has terrorised an entire people for nearly six decades.'
Zawya
09-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Third edition of information and awareness campaign for small cross-border traders along the Abidjan – Lagos corridor: official launch of the Lomé stage
As part of the implementation of the third edition of the Information and Awareness Campaign for small-scale cross-border traders along the Abidjan – Lagos corridor, the Department of Human Development and Social Affairs in collaboration with the Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the ECOWAS Commission organised the official launch of the Lomé stage on the 4th of July 2025 at the Hôtel 2 février in Lomé, Togo. The launch ceremony was attended by Her Excellency Professor Kossiwa ZINSOU-KLASSO, Minister for Social Action, Solidarity and the Advancement of Women. The aim of this campaign is to build on the achievements and results of the 2023 and 2024 Editions carried out along the Tema-Paga and Dakar-Banjul-Bissau Corridors in order to facilitate cross-border trade and improve the operations of small-scale women traders by enhancing their knowledge and understanding of the texts governing cross-border trade and related community initiatives. The ceremony, which took place against the backdrop of ECOWAS' golden jubilee, was an opportunity to raise awareness among women traders of ECOWAS cross-border agri-food trade initiatives, policies and strategies, in particular the Regional Programme for the Integration of Agricultural Markets – PRIMA (2021-2026) covering Togo and Benin, and on building the capacity of women traders in the toolkit developed by ITC for women involved in small-scale cross-border trade (Transparency at the border and Combating gender-based violence). The launch ceremony was attended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Togolese Republic, the Ministry of Trade, Handicrafts and Local Consumption, Regional Integration and Togolese Abroad of the Togolese Republic, the ECOWAS Resident Representation in Togo, the ECOWAS National Office, the ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food, based in Lomé, the Togolese Chamber of Commerce, representatives of small-scale cross-border traders' associations and technical and financial partners. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Zawya
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Togo: Testimonies provide glimpse into violent repression of protests
The Togolese authorities must put an end to unnecessary and excessive use of force against protesters, said Amnesty International, amid the latest violent crackdown on protests in the capital, Lomé, since 26 June. The organization spoke with 18 victims and witnesses. Thirteen described a pattern of unlawful use of force and mistreatment by police and security forces against protesters and passers-by. "These cases must be independently and transparently investigated as a matter of urgency." Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International's interim Regional Director for West and Central Africa These protests, considered illegal by the authorities, are the latest in a series of demonstrations since the beginning of June against the repression of dissent, the high cost of living and changes to the constitution. Last month, Amnesty International documented allegations that protesters had been tortured or subjected to ill-treatment. 'In recent days, we have interviewed people who have alleged that men identified as security forces carried out unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions, acts of torture and other ill-treatment, and several cases of abduction. These cases must be independently and transparently investigated as a matter of urgency,' said Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International's interim Regional Director for West and Central Africa. Reports of unlawful use of force by security forces Thirteen people interviewed by Amnesty International said that men in uniform, suspected to be members of security forces and people described as 'militiamen' used unnecessary and excessive force and violence. A man living in Avénou said: 'On 30 June, everything was quiet in our neighbourhood. Suddenly three pick-ups and a car came speeding down our street. Everyone started running away. Men forced their way into our house. They made us get out and told us to kneel down. They were all in civilian clothes. They pointed their guns at us and then they beat us. They left, saying they were going to come back.' A 38-year-old man said: 'On 26 June at around 3pm, I was taking part in a protest in Attiégou, when a group of soldiers attacked me. They hit me hard. I ended up losing consciousness and some young people took me for treatment.' A 17-year-old teenager said he was arrested on 26 June by gendarmes and held for five days, first at the Zorobar gendarmerie station, then at the former national gendarmerie headquarters and the Avepozo gendarmerie camp. 'They put us on our knees with our arms raised. If we lowered our arms, they hit us with cords […]. All day long, we only drank one sachet of water'. The teenager says he is still suffering from back pain. According to him, more than 40 people were detained with him at the gendarmerie on 30 June, including other children. Two men and a woman have been missing since 27 June. They were allegedly abducted by unidentified men from a house in the Adidogomé neighbourhood. In a video broadcast live on Tik Tok on 27 June by one of the victims, people were seen bursting into the room, and then the video cut. In the preceding days, he had published several videos in support of the protests and denouncing arbitrary arrests. "All light must be shed on these deaths and the whereabouts of those who have disappeared." Fabien Offner, researcher at Amnesty International's regional office for West and Central Africa At least seven people found dead, including children The parents of a 16-year-old boy found dead in the Bè lagoon on 27 June told Amnesty International that members of the security forces in black uniforms had entered the neighbourhood the previous day and that tear gas shots had been heard. The boy's body was found along with that of another child. In a statement shared on 29 June, Togolese civil society organizations reported the deaths of seven people, whose bodies were found in rivers in Lomé, and mentioned 'beatings' and 'arbitrary arrests of passers-by, youth, and older people', and 'chases […] of young people, sometimes children, forced to take refuge in the lagoon'. The statement also mentioned 'bullet holes in three bodies found in the Bè lagoon on 27 June […] and testimonies of local residents who reported gunshots'. 'All light must be shed on these deaths and the whereabouts of those who have disappeared. Those detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly must be released,' said Fabien Offner, researcher at Amnesty International's regional office for West and Central Africa. The government announced on 29 June that the bodies found were those of people who had 'drowned', citing 'the results of forensic analyses'. 'We don't know the exact number of people brought before the court and those still in custody', lawyer Darius K. Atsoo said to Amnesty International. According to him, as of 30 June, 18 people arrested on 26, 27 and 28 June had been released and 31 were still being held in custody following hearings before the public prosecutor. On 2 July, at least six people had not been found by their families, according to testimonies. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.
