President's move to amass more power triggers anger

A new Constitution that has allowed Togo's long-time head of state, Faure Gnassingbé, to shift to a new role as all-powerful Prime Minister – and escape the constraint of Presidential term limits – has triggered anger in the capital, Lomé. At least five demonstrators have died while confronting official security forces in recent weeks, according to BBC News. But it is not the orthodox political opposition that has mobilised frustrated young Togolese people. Instead it is musicians, bloggers and activists who have tapped into popular anger and weariness with a regime that has been in power – under the leadership of Gnassingbé or, before him – his father Gnassingbé Éyadéma, for almost six decades. That outstrips even Cameroon's 92-year old President Paul Biya – who has just confirmed his intention to stand for an eighth successive term in elections later this year (see story above) – or Gabon's father-and-son Presidents, Omar Bongo and Ali Bongo, the latter who was deposed in a coup.

Gnassingbé devised a new constitutional structure for Togo, to prolong his own hold on power while playing down his personal profile, in a bid to defuse accusations of dynastic rule. He will no longer need to stand for re-election in his own name. The 59-year-old holds the premiership because his Union pour la République party dominates the national assembly, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, thanks to a constituency map gerrymandered to over-represent its northern heartlands and understate the voting weight of the pro-opposition coastal south. Gilbert Bawara, Togo's Civil Service and Labour Minister, maintains the 2024 election was above board, with ‘all the major political actors and parties’ taking part, reports BBC News. He added that those with a genuine reason to demonstrate could do so within the law, blaming activists abroad for inciting ‘young people to attack security forces’ in an attempt to destabilise the country. The new constitutional framework was announced at short notice in early 2024 and quickly approved by the compliant government-dominated national assembly. There was no attempt to secure general public approval through a referendum. A one-year transition concluded this May as Gnassingbé – who had been head of state since 2005 – gave up the Presidency and was installed in the Premiership, a post now strengthened to hold all executive power and total authority over the armed forces.