Opposition parties and civil society groups in Togo have called on President Faure Gnassingbé to relinquish power, urging citizens to begin a campaign of civil disobedience later this month in protest against what they describe as an illegitimate regime.
In a statement delivered during a press conference in the capital, Lomé, on Thursday, the National Alliance for Change (ANC), the Democratic Forces for the Republic (FDR), and several activist organisations said the president “must return power to the Togolese people to whom national sovereignty belongs.”
The groups are calling on the population to engage in acts of civil disobedience from 23 June as a means of resisting what they claim is an unconstitutional and undemocratic government.
Tensions have been rising in the West African nation following youth-led protests on the night of June 5-6, during which demonstrators clashed with security forces near the presidential palace and in other areas of Lomé. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds, and over 50 protesters were arrested. Several remain in custody.
President Gnassingbé has been in power since 2005, taking over from his father, who ruled the country for nearly 40 years. Earlier this year, he oversaw a controversial shift to a parliamentary system that further cemented his hold on power. While the government claims the reforms are intended to depersonalise the presidency and promote institutional balance, critics argue the move is designed to extend Gnassingbé’s rule indefinitely.
The opposition has denounced the imposition of a new constitution without a referendum or national consultation, branding it “high treason against the Togolese people and democracy.”
Protests have been officially banned in Togo since 2022, following a deadly incident at Lomé’s main market, although public meetings are still permitted. Activists now say the public mood is shifting.
“This is only the beginning of the Togolese people’s exasperation,” said David Dosseh, spokesperson for the civil society coalition “Togo Citizens Stand Up”. “The wall of fear is starting to crack. The youth is waking up.”
In response, Gilbert Bawara, Togo’s Minister of Public Service Reform, defended the changes as part of the country’s historical and democratic evolution. He said the reforms are intended to strengthen national unity and cohesion.
