Voices from Lomé – The Fight for Change

For over five decades now, the Togolese have lived under the weight of fear for daring to challenge an oppressive regime ruled by a family dynasty. Today, that fear has turned into a full-blown security crisis where the institutions meant to protect civilians are used as a tool for repression. Crackdowns intensified in 2024 and 2025, terrorising citizens in their homes, silencing journalists, and arresting and beating protesters. Once crowded with common people demonstrating against the growing cost of living, Lomé's streets are now emblems of state violence.

The arrest of rapper and activist Aamron in June 2025 served as the impetus for the most recent crackdown. Three demands were made by protesters: Faure Gnassingbé's resignation, a return to the 1992 constitution, and an end to the growing crisis caused by rising living expenses. These are the demands of a people who have been driven to the brink by decades of economic decline, state capture, and violations of human rights; they are not radical demands. 

The State As a Threat

Throughout Togolese history, security forces under the 58-year rule of the Gnassingbe family have not been used to protect citizens, but rather to inflict violence and wreak havoc upon the civilians who challenged or resisted the oppressive regime. The legacy of state-sponsored violence started with Faure Gnassingbe’s father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who seized power in a coup in 1967 and went on to rule Togo for 38 years. His leadership was marked by tyranny, brutal crackdown on dissent, the elimination of opposition parties, and a tightly controlled security force loyal only to him. First-hand accounts from Togolese who lived in his era described it as evil. Institutions meant to uphold the principle of separation of powers were tightly controlled by his regime. Schools and students were forced to compete and perform for him, and those who refused, whether sick or not, were severely beaten and killed by the national security forces.   

This legacy of control and dissent by Eyadema Gnassingbe has been continued by his son Faure Gnassingbe today.  Under the complete control of the ruling party, Togo's National Assembly changed the presidential election procedure in April 2024 by amending the constitution without a referendum. Parliament can now elect the president instead of the citizens, thereby eliminating the voice of the people. Faure can stay in office until at least 2033 as the law exempts his prior terms, even though it imposes new term limits. This legal manipulation, which was carried out without consulting the public, demonstrates the fragility of Togo's democracy.

The State as a Tool of Repression

Two decades under Faure Gnassingbe’s regime, institutions meant to hold the principle of separation of powers were instrumentalised for repression, particularly against activists who demanded accountability or exposed corruption from the regime. From the legislative to the judiciary, these bodies have been systematically infiltrated and reshaped to serve the interests of the regime.

Media Foundation for West Africa reported an incident of allegations of unlawful arrests and imprisonment of activists with examples of Folly Satchivi who was arrested in 2018 for preparing a press conference on controversial issues that had arisen out of preparatory activities undertaken by the institution in charge of elections in the country, la Commission Electorale Nationale Independante (CENI), regarding the country’s upcoming legislative elections.

Satchivi was arrested and charged with ‘acts of rebellion and incitement’, which his lawyers argued were baseless and factless charges against the activist. Countless other activists have faced this type of prosecution and imprisonment for exercising their right to freedom of speech and expression. This is not only an infringement on their human rights, but creates an environment of fear and intimidation towards like-minded individuals who share the same sentiments of the status quo in Togo. Civilians have claimed that even though the socioeconomic conditions are hard, the fear of being met with the same repercussions persists.

When peaceful protests meet state terror 

The environment of fear intensified in the June 2025 protests, which sparked due to the arrest of a Togolese rapper named Aamron, who spoke out against the regime. Hundreds of Togolese took to the streets of Lomé with three key demands:  (1) the resignation of Faure Gnassingbe, (2) the return of  the 1992 constitution and (3) against the cost of living crisis.

Instead of dialogue, protestors were met with aggression, with a number arrested and detained while others were beaten in their homes. Protestors arrested claimed to have been tortured: “We were lying on the ground with six or seven officers around us. They poured water over us and hit us on the buttocks with cords. They hit the soles of our feet and asked us, ‘Are you going to go out and demonstrate again’ per Amnesty International’s report. 

Videos circulating on X (formerly known as twitter) illustrate rampant police brutality. Images of dead bodies pulled from a lake with bullet holes underscored the brutality as the Togolese authority reported 7 bodies in the Be lagoon in Lome, claiming an accidental drowning. First-hand accounts and testimonies relay a different story.

Silencing the Media and Shutting Down the Internet

Aside prosecution and imprisonment of activists there have been deliberate attacks against broadcasting stations and journalists who merely reported on the protest of 2025.

International Federation of Journalists reported that three broadcasting stations in June 2025, namely, France 24 and Radio France International, were suspended for three months over accusations of ‘undermining the stability of republican institutions and the country’s image.’ Reports included that journalists were forced to delete images and videos taken during the protest, condemning the suspension and actions taken by the high authority for audiovisual and communication (HAAC).

Furthermore, there have been allegations of deliberate internet manipulation in 2025 during the protest, with Internet Society Pulse confirming that amid the political crisis in Togo, the government limited access to major networks of the country. The affected services are mainly social media and instant messaging apps, including Facebook, Telegram, and Signal, as well as YouTube and DuckDuckGo. This is not only a violation of digital rights but a flimsy attempt by the regime to control the narrative and silence dissenting voices.

A Call to Global Action 

Today, Activists from Togo, Kenya, Ghana and across Africa have called for Global action and the intervention of international organisations that promote democracy, peace and economic development to come to their aid in addressing the atrocities committed against them.

Ghanaian X activist ‘BobtheBuil19383’ has challenged ECOWAS and the AU for their lack of response and condemned bland responses to the human rights violations happening in Togo. Ghana has also been urged by a renowned Togolese human rights activist Farida Nabourema and creator of the ‘FaureMustGo’ hashtag not to allow Togolese activists who have fled outside the country to be extradited by the Togolese regime. 

Togo Deserves Better

Togo is at a breaking point, not just in crisis. A regime that has spent decades honing its instruments of oppression is stifling democracy. Instead of a dynasty concealed behind a harsh security apparatus and a skewed legal system, the people of Togo deserve a government that is chosen by and for them. Right now, Togo needs international solidarity, unequivocal condemnation, and protection for its citizens, particularly those who have fled the country. Before more lives are lost, it is imperative that we speak and take action.