On 29 September, armed individuals disrupted a conference organized by the opposition party Convention Démocratique des Peuples Africains (CDPA) in Lomé, injuring several attendees, including MPs and journalists. Witnesses reported that security forces stationed near the venue did not intervene during the attack. The CDPA condemned the incident, calling it an attempt to silence opposition voices and erode democratic freedoms. The lack of intervention by security personnel raised concerns about violations of the rights to freedom of assembly and expression as well as safety.

Sources: Ici Lome, Amnesty International

On 6 May, President Faure Gnassingbé promulgated amendments to the country’s constitution which, among other things, changes its presidential political system to one that experts have categorised as ‘assembly independent.’ Under this system, the head of government (the newly created President of the Council of Ministers, PoCM) is selected by parliament and can only be removed by a three-quarters parliamentary majority, effectively shielding the PoCM from accountability. The new framework does not impose a term limit on the head of government, raising widespread concerns that it may enable Gnassingbé, who looks set to become the first PoCM, to indefinitely continue his rule. Procedural concerns have also been raised, with opposition parties criticising the government’s failure to subject the reforms to a referendum and the passage of the reforms after the formal end to the parliamentary term.  

Sources: République Togolaise, Constitution Net (1), Constitution Net (2), The Conversation, Reuters

Togo’s legislative elections, originally scheduled for 13 April but held on 29 April, were won by President Faure Gnassingbé’s ruling party, the Union for the Republic (Union Pour la République, UNIR), with provisional results showing it had secured 108 (96 per cent) of the 113 seats in the National Assembly. The remaining five seats were split between three opposition parties. The seats were contested by 2,348 validated candidates, of whom 593 (25 per cent) were women. Togo’s electoral commission reported turnout to be 61 per cent of registered voters. The election was criticized by the opposition, who alleged numerous irregularities, including overvoting, delays to the start of voting and ballot stuffing. The leader of the Democratic Convention of African Peoples Party (Convention démocratique des peuples africains, CDPA) said that she intended to challenge the election results. The poll, however, received the approval of international observers from various regional organizations, including the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, who despite noting minor concerns gave it a positive assessment.

Sources: Togo Officiel, Africa News, Voice of America, Radio France Internationale, Economic Community of West African States, Jeune Afrique  

A state of emergency in the region of Savanes in the north of Togo has been extended for another year by the legislature. The state of emergency was first declared by President Faure Gnassingbé in June 2022 in response to violence perpetrated by jihadist groups operating out of Burkina Faso. Such attacks have continued over the last year. The state of emergency aims to preserve the integrity and security of the national territory and allows the military and police to restrict movement and assembly, and to question individuals who they believe to present a security threat.

Sources: Togo Officiel, AfricaNews, eNews Channel Africa