4/7/2025–|Last update: 14:04 (Mecca time)
Lome- Togo- The chants were calmed, the barriers were removed from the streets, and a suspicious calm prevailed in the capital after days of the mass protests in Togo.
But below the surface, anger is still rising, and the security forces are widespread at major intersections, while many fear that the storm has not ended yet.
Between 26 and 28 June, thousands went to the streets of Lumi in protest against constitutional amendments that opponents say it keeps the president for Ghannasingbe in power indefinitely.
Ghannasingbi, 59, who took over the presidency in 2005 after the death of his 38 -year -old father, recently swore to the head of the Council of Ministers – a strong executive position without time limits in the newly approved parliamentary system.
Violent and fast repression of the protests
At least 4 people were killed, dozens were injured, and more than 60 people were arrested, according to local civil society organizations. Documentary videos show beating, chases, and dragging civilians by men in civilian clothes.
But in a country, political exhaustion and divided opposition were used to a turning point last week.
Display the genetic ruling
Many see in these protests more than just a rejection of constitutional amendments, as they are a break of generations.
“These young people are not only protest against a new constitution. They reject 58 years of genetic rule from father to son, who only brought poverty, repression and humiliation,” says journalist and Togolese writer Bab Kudjo.
Most of the protesters were below the 25, they did not know another leader. They arose under electricity interruptions, deteriorating infrastructure, unemployment and freedoms.
The government tried to reduce anger, quickly retracted a 12.5% increase in electricity prices, which is one of the sources of discontent, and quietly released the active singer “Amron”, whose arrest caused anger.
But that did not stop the protests. “The arrest of Amroun was the spark. But the real story is that the regime is no longer able to provide a negotiating or institutional solution to the crisis, and it depends only on military power,” says political analyst Paul Amigakbo, head of the Tamperma Institute for the rule.
He referred to evidence of the cracking within the same state, as former Minister of Defense Margaret Gannadi issued a rare statement condemning violence, which may indicate divisions at the highest levels.
Civil society blocks the void
It is noteworthy that the protest leaders were not a traditional opposition parties, but rather civil society activists, artists and influencers of the diaspora.
“The opposition is a political, physical and financial exhaustion,” Kudjo said.
Civil organizations have released data condemning the “non -proportional use of strength” and demanding independent investigations. West Africa Media Foundation said that freedom of expression “is dangerous dangerous.”
Fabian Ofnner, an Amnesty International researcher, stressed that repression is part of a “systematic repressive structure”, and his organization documented arbitrary detention and torture in light of impunity.
“This is not just a protest management, but rather a systematic denial of basic rights,” he said, and pointed out that the government’s description of the protests as “unauthorized” contradicts international law, as peaceful gatherings do not require prior permission.
An international absence of a disturbing international
Amnesty International called for an independent investigation, publishing the list of detainees, and a complete transparency of the prosecutors. “Togo has become a diplomatic blind point. We need a strict position on the African Union, Eco and the United Nations,” Ofner said.
Even the bishops of the Catholic Church, known for their reservations, warned in a rare statement of “the danger of explosion under the burden of pent -up frustration”, calling for “a honest, comprehensive and constructive dialogue.”
Response
Minister Gilbert Baura said that “what happened was not a peaceful protest but rather an attempt to destabilize public order,” and denied the security forces of systematic violations, adding that the government is “open to the dialogue”, but only with “clear and organized authorities, not unknown calls from abroad.”
He defended the constitutional amendments as “within a legitimate process”, stressing that those who oppose them “can resort to elections or legal appeal.”
But critics considered these mechanisms as formal in light of the dominance of the ruling party over institutions and its suppression of the opposition.
“There are democratic manifestations, yes, but they are empty of the content. Power in Togo monopolizes and preserves through repression, customs and constitutional engineering,” says analyst Amegakbo.
He pointed out that the government’s announcement of a “peaceful march” supported on July 5 is evidence that it “does not listen, but rather responds to social suffering with advertising and counter -demonstrations.”
turning point
The country’s fate is still mysterious. The protests calmed down, but the security spread and the slow Internet reflect the existing tension.
“We are not a revolution yet, but we are in a deep rift. If the regime continues to deny it, the cost may be greater than he expected.”
“There is a divorce between a generation that knows its rights and a system that lives in a survival mode. Something has changed. Will this lead to reform or more repression? This is what the next stage will reveal.”