At least seven people have died and several others were injured during recent anti-government protests in Togo’s capital, Lomé, according to civic organisations speaking to the press on Sunday.
Activist groups and human rights organisations have accused the country’s security forces and allied militias of committing abuses during the unrest. They claimed seven bodies were recovered from rivers in Lomé in the aftermath of the demonstrations.
The Togolese authorities have yet to issue an official death toll from the late-June protests. However, a local gendarmerie unit previously reported two deaths by drowning.
Protests are uncommon in Togo, a country long dominated by the Gnassingbé family. President Faure Gnassingbé has held power since 2005, following the death of his father, who had ruled the West African nation for 38 years.
On Thursday, demonstrators in several parts of the capital blocked roads, burned tyres, and erected makeshift barricades. Many shops and businesses remained shut amid the unrest.
The protests have been driven by frustration over a crackdown on dissenting voices, surging electricity prices, and a controversial constitutional reform that critics say further entrenches President Gnassingbé’s hold on power.
Dozens of protesters, most of them young people, were arrested on 5 and 6 June. Although the majority have since been released, Amnesty International has reported allegations of torture in custody.
The Togolese government has denied knowledge of such abuses and accused demonstrators of deliberately attempting to create “disorder and chaos”.
