Toba Owojaiye Reporting
Lomé, Togo
In a dramatic escalation of political tension, the streets of Lomé have exploded into chaos as thousands of protesters, mostly young, disillusioned citizens, took to the streets to oppose President Faure Gnassingbé’s controversial constitutional amendments. The government’s move to abolish direct presidential elections has ignited one of the most significant uprisings in Togo in over a decade, leaving several injured and at least two feared dead as security forces cracked down on demonstrations.
The protests began early Wednesday, with barricades set up across working-class neighborhoods in Lomé. Demonstrators, many in their teens and twenties, say they’ve had enough of being governed by the same family for over half a century. President Gnassingbé, who took office in 2005 after the death of his father Gnassingbé Eyadéma, Togo’s military ruler for 38 years, is now accused of orchestrating a “constitutional coup” to extend his grip on power indefinitely.
“We are hungry. Nothing works for Togolese youth anymore,” said 30-year-old protester Kossi Albert. “That’s why we’re going out.”
From Lomé’s Bè neighborhood to the suburbs of Agoè and Akodéssewa, roadblocks and flames dominated the landscape. Protesters burned tires and pelted security agents with rocks, while anti-riot police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and mass arrests.
According to civil society groups, at least 10 protesters were arrested during Wednesday’s march. Another dozen were detained earlier in June, following similar protests led by the opposition coalition, Dynamique pour la Majorité du Peuple (DMP).
The protests are part of a three-day action scheduled from June 26–28, in defiance of a long-standing ban on demonstrations. The government has responded with threats, calling the movement “illegal” and warning of “firm consequences.”
At the heart of the unrest is the recent overhaul of Togo’s political system. In May, lawmakers, largely aligned with Gnassingbé’s ruling UNIR party, voted to replace the direct election of the president with a parliamentary appointment process.
Under the new system, power would shift to a “President of the Council of Ministers”, a role that many believe will be assumed by Gnassingbé himself. Critics call it an “underhanded monarchisation of the Republic,” stripping the people of their last democratic instrument: the vote.
Opposition parties say this is nothing short of a dynastic power play, a constitutional manipulation designed to keep one family in control indefinitely.
In a sign of growing authoritarianism, the High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (HAAC) recently suspended France 24 and Radio France Internationale (RFI) from operating in Togo for three months. The state regulator accused the French broadcasters of “biased reporting” on the protests, a move condemned internationally as an attack on press freedom.
Togo’s information space is shrinking just as its civic unrest is exploding.
The unrest in Togo is yet another alarm bell for West Africa’s faltering democracies. From Mali to Niger, Burkina Faso to Guinea, the region has seen a surge of military coups and democratic rollbacks. Togo, though ruled by a civilian president, is now being seen as engaging in constitutional authoritarianism, reshaping the law to achieve the same outcome: perpetual rule.
Observers warn that if regional bodies like ECOWAS fail to intervene meaningfully, the contagion of repression will spread even deeper.
With two more days of planned protests ahead, the situation remains tense. What happens next will be a decisive moment not just for Togo, but for the democratic trajectory of West Africa.
“When you remove the voice of the ballot, the voice of the street takes its place,” said a spokesperson for the opposition coalition. “This is not just a protest, it is a referendum.”
The Togolese government’s constitutional amendment has ignited widespread unrest, with youth protesters challenging what they call a “constitutional coup” by President Gnassingbé. As violent crackdowns unfold, regional and international attention is now focused on Togo’s rapidly closing democratic space and the will of a people refusing to be silenced.