Seven Dead After Three Days of Protests in Togo
Authorities deny involvement as rights groups accuse security forces of deadly violence during protests against constitutional changes
- Seven people killed during violent protests in Lomé calling for President Gnassingbé to resign
- Rights groups accuse security forces of brutal crackdown
- Protests sparked by constitutional changes removing term limits and recent political arrests.
Three days of protests demanding the resignation of Togo’s long-time leader, Faure Gnassingbé, have ended in tragedy, with at least seven people reported dead, according to human rights organizations.
Violence erupted on Friday and Saturday during demonstrations in the capital Lomé, where security forces cracked down on protesters calling for the release of political prisoners and opposing constitutional changes that critics say cement Gnassingbé’s control.
A coalition of civil rights groups, Le Front Citoyen Togo Debout, stated that seven bodies were found in rivers around Lomé and accused government forces and allied militias of serious abuses. Meanwhile, the government denies any connection between the deaths and the protests and has labeled the demonstrations a foreign-orchestrated “campaign of disinformation and hatred.” It has also threatened legal action against protest organizers.
Togo’s political tensions have intensified after Gnassingbé, whose family has ruled for nearly six decades, assumed a newly created lifelong role as President of the Council of Ministers. Constitutional reforms have abolished presidential term limits and shifted the country to a parliamentary system, moves that opponents call an “institutional coup d’état.”
Since protests have been banned since 2022 under the guise of security, the recent demonstrations—sparked partly by the controversial detention of rapper Narcisse Essowè Tchalla—have been met with tear gas, stone-throwing, and violent clashes in opposition strongholds like Bè.
Civil society groups are demanding investigations into the use of excessive force, emphasizing that peaceful protest is a constitutional right. Calm largely returned to Lomé by Sunday, but the political unrest and public dissatisfaction remain deeply rooted.
