Togo: At least 3 dead and dozens injured in anti-government riots

Lomé is turning into a powder keg. Since the adoption of constitutional reforms, the population, revolted and determined, has taken to the streets to denounce an institutional putsch. Law enforcement is striking. The toll is heavy: at least three protesters killed, dozens injured, and mass arrests. And it's far from over.

A protest that ignites

Since June 26, the popular rally has stretched over several days, urged by coalitions such as "Touche pas à ma constitution" and local influencers. These protests target the new stance of Faure Gnassingbé, now president of the Council of Ministers—a position with no term limit, renewable only by the Assembly. For the opposition, it is a "constitutional coup," a seizure of power by the Gnassingbé dynasty.

The demonstrations, particularly in Bè and on Marina Avenue, erected barricades, burned tires, chanted cries of revolt, and expressed the frustration of young people affected by unemployment and the high cost of living.

Fierce repression and dramatic results

The reaction of the security forces – police, gendarmerie, and soldiers – was brutal. Tear gas, batons, armored vehicles, house arrests… all punctuated by indiscriminate violence, sometimes reported as raids by men in civilian clothes in Lomé . At least three protesters lost their lives in these clashes. "We have been informed of a bloodbath orchestrated by the army," denounces the "Don't Touch My Constitution" movement.

Videos shared on social media show brutal arrests, beatings, and even alleged torture, relayed by Amnesty International . Dozens of people are reportedly injured by bullets, batons, or inhalation. At least a dozen opponents have been arrested in the Bè neighborhood . Working-class neighborhoods are ablaze: tear gas against stones, soldiers facing unarmed civilians.

One step too far towards autocracy

These protests did not come out of nowhere. They are part of a long cycle: Togo has been under the yoke of the Gnassingbé family since 1967. Faure succeeded his father in 2005, then ratified a new constitution in 2024, reshaping the regime into a Fifth Republic under his own control: transition to a parliamentary system, maintaining power indirectly via a Prime Minister's position empowered to be renewed indefinitely. This scheme was widely perceived by the opposition as a ploy to prolong his unlimited political control.

Even before these recent rallies, political and social dissension was brewing: in June, multiple arrests of bloggers, activists, and young protesters had already taken place, as well as the blackout of French-language media outlets such as RFI and France 24.

Togo on the brink of democratic collapse

If the mobilization continues, the Togolese scene could tip into an acute crisis . The government is hiding behind security concerns to justify the repression, describing the demonstrations as an institutional threat . Faced with this, the protest movements are demanding the release of political prisoners, the restoration of public freedoms, and the outright withdrawal of the new constitutional text.

The turning point in these clashes will hold the answer to two crucial questions: will the army remain loyal to the regime or will it decide to play the role of arbiter? Will a genuine national dialogue begin, or will the government choose to confine itself to an iron regime?

This Togolese crisis resonates in a fragile African climate, where coups d'état, authoritarianism, and democratic erosion are on the rise. The international community is watching, more than ever, as if it were witnessing an imminent political earthquake. Under the spotlight, Paris, ECOWAS, the AU, and the EU will no longer be able to content themselves with declarations of principle: their intervention—diplomatic or humanitarian—could become decisive.