At Least Seven Killed in Rare Anti-Government Protests in Togo

At least seven people have reportedly died and several others injured during anti-government protests in Togo’s capital, Lomé, according to civic and human rights groups.
The bodies, said to have been retrieved from rivers in the capital, were attributed to alleged abuses by security forces and affiliated militias. While the Togolese authorities have not issued an official death toll, a gendarmerie unit has acknowledged two fatalities by drowning during the late-June unrest.
Protests of this scale are uncommon in Togo, where President Faure Gnassingbé has held power since 2005, following nearly four decades of rule by his father.
The demonstrations were sparked by growing public frustration over political repression, surging electricity prices, and a controversial constitutional reform that further consolidates presidential authority.
On June 5 and 6, police arrested around 50 protesters—mainly young people—with most reportedly released thereafter. Although initially limited in scale, Thursday saw groups of demonstrators blocking roads and setting barricades ablaze, prompting widespread business closures in the capital. Rights advocates are now calling for accountability and greater civic freedoms in a nation where dissent is often tightly controlled.

About Geraldine Boechat 3224 Articles
Senior Editor for Medafrica Times and former journalist for Swiss National Television. former NGO team leader in Burundi and Somalia