Security forces in Togo moved swiftly on Friday to shut down a rare public protest in the capital, Lomé, as frustrations mount over arrests of dissidents, soaring fuel prices, and controversial constitutional reforms perceived as a power grab by the country’s long-standing president.
The protest, largely driven by young people and civil society groups, had been organised online to express growing anger over recent political developments and government repression.
President Faure Gnassingbé, who has been in power since 2005 following the death of his father, continues to face criticism over attempts to tighten his decades-long family rule.
Police officers were deployed in large numbers across Lomé, particularly near the presidency, and used tear gas to disperse small gatherings of demonstrators.
According to reports, journalists covering the protest were briefly detained and compelled to delete footage and photos captured during the incident.
Public calls for mobilisation intensified on Thursday after the unexpected reappearance of Aamron, a prominent Togolese rapper known for his outspoken criticism of the government.
Aamron had vanished after being detained at his home 10 days earlier, shortly after calling on the public to protest. He was later transferred to a psychiatric hospital in Zébé, about 50 kilometres east of the capital, with officials citing “severe depression” as the reason — a move that has provoked widespread condemnation from opposition figures and human rights organisations.
Another government critic, Honore Sitsope Sokpor — better known by his online pseudonym ”Affectio”—has been imprisoned since January.
His arrest followed the publication of a poem on social media that authorities claim incited unrest. The Togolese government defended its actions on Friday, stating that under national law, any audio-visual content promoting an uprising against state institutions carries harsher penalties.
The swift suppression of Friday’s protests highlights the increasingly restricted political space in Togo, where dissent is met with swift and heavy-handed responses by the authorities.
