Overview

• Last month, Togo’s constitution was revised to install Gnassingbé as President of the Council of Ministers with no term limits, effectively extending his family’s rule since 1967.
• Hundreds of mostly young protesters erected barricades and burned tires in Lomé to challenge the constitutional changes and rising electricity prices.
• Security forces used tear gas and batons to break up demonstrations, detaining dozens of participants amid reports of beatings during arrests.
• The government suspended broadcasts of French outlets RFI and France24 for three months, accusing them of biased coverage of the unrest.
• The “Hands Off My Constitution” coalition has demanded the release of roughly 100 political prisoners and warned that removing term limits threatens democratic stability in West Africa.