Togo
Togo exhibits mid-range performance in the GSoD categories of Representation and Participation, and low range performance in Rights and the Rule of Law. It is among the top 25 per cent of countries in Civic Engagement and Electoral Participation and among the bottom 25 per cent in Access to Justice, Absence of Corruption, and Basic Welfare. Over the last five years, it has experienced advancements in Economic Equality and declines in Freedom of the Press. It is a low-income country, with an economy heavily dependent on agriculture.
Prior to colonization, the land that is today Togo was settled by various tribes, including the Kabye who came from the north of the country and the Éwé from modern day Nigeria. It later became one of the primary slaving areas of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, which had a deep and lasting impact on its people. From the late 1800s until independence in 1960, it was at various points under the control of Germany, the United Kingdom, and finally France. Since 1967, the country has been ruled continuously by Gnassingbé Eyadéma (until 2005) and thereafter his son, Faure Gnassingbé. These leaders have maintained power through repression and patronage. The ruling party, Union Pour la République, holds a large majority of seats in the country’s unicameral parliament, and a new constitution promulgated in 2024 changed the political system in ways that critics fear will enable Gnassingbé to indefinitely continue his rule. In May 2025, Gnassingbé assumed the powerful new executive office of President of the Council of Ministers.
For Togolese, issues of development, democracy, and corruption loom large. Togo performs weakly on key indices of development, as poor health and education inhibit Togo’s economic potential. While the government has made major investments in infrastructure, it has not been able to lift the majority of the population out of poverty. Since 2021, the country’s northern Savanes region has been plagued by a jihadist insurgency and remains under a regularly extended state of emergency that was first imposed in 2022. Opposition parties have criticized the recent electoral reforms and called for protests against the government and its repressive tactics.
Issues of ethnic discrimination are salient in Togo, which has between 20 and 40 ethnic groups, depending on classification. Although citizens are guaranteed equality before the law, civil and military services have been dominated by northern ethnic groups, especially Gnassingbé’s Kabye tribe; this has been a recurring source of political tension and discrimination. In particular, the Éwé ethnic group, while the largest in the country, is underrepresented in positions of power.
Over the past two decades, Togo has seen improvements in Gender Equality and performs at the mid-range. Recent progress includes new legal protections for women in the areas of family law, civil rights, criminal law and social security. However, women’s representation in public life remains low, and women continue to face widespread intimate partner violence. Furthermore, LGBTQIA+ people face discrimination and violence and same-sex conduct is criminalised.
Looking ahead, it will be important to monitor the impact of the changes brought about by the new constitution, particularly with regards to Representation. It will also be important to watch Civil Liberties, amidst continuing government repression of perceived critics. Finally, the insecurity in the north of the country warrants attention, as developments there have the potential to impact Togo’s performance across all GSoDI indicators.
Last updated: May 2025
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
June 2025
Security forces crack down on protests over constitutional reforms
From 5 to 6 June, security forces violently dispersed rare anti-government protests in Lomé, leaving at least seven people dead, according to civil society groups. The unrest was sparked by the arrest of rapper Aamron, a critic of President Faure Gnassingbé, and public anger over a recent constitutional change that may enable Gnassingbé to rule indefinitely as President of the Council of Ministers. Police used tear gas and batons, with footage showing security forces beating protesters and storming homes. Rights groups documented cases of torture during detention, including beatings and threats. Dozens were arrested and later released, though some remain in custody. The government denied responsibility for the deaths, attributing them to accidental drownings. Civil society actors condemned the repression and called for investigations. Demonstrations are banned in Togo, but youth-led protests resumed from 26 to 28 June, intensifying tensions over the country’s democratic trajectory.
Sources: International Crisis Group, Jeune Afrique, British Broadcasting Corporation, Amnesty International, The Associated Press, Togo Presse, International IDEA
Togo suspends French broadcasters over alleged bias
On 16 June, Togo’s media regulator suspended French broadcasters Radio France Internationale and France 24 for three months, accusing them of airing ‘inaccurate and biased’ content that undermines national stability. In justifying their action, the regulator, the High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (HAAC), alleged repeated breaches of journalistic impartiality, particularly around recent anti-government protests. Both broadcasters denied the HAAC’s claims, saying the ban came ‘without notice’. Press freedom advocates condemned the move as censorship. The suspension comes amid growing unrest, with recent demonstrations over constitutional reforms and arrests of protestors. Local journalists have also faced harassment, including being forced to delete footage of protests. Observers warn the move aligns Togo with other West African states that have similarly banned French media outlets in recent years.
Sources: Jeune Afrique, PressAfrik, Committee to Protect Journalists, Le Monde, International Federation of Journalists
February 2025
Togo holds first Senate election as part of constitutional transition
On 15 February, Togo conducted its first Senate election, completing its transition to an ‘assembly independent’ political system, under constitutional reforms promulgated in 2024. Forty-one of the 61 Senators were indirectly elected by municipal and regional councillors. The remaining 20 senators were appointed by the President of the Council of Ministers, Faure Gnassingbé, on 5 March. According to Togo’s Electoral Commission, women senators will take up six of the 41 seats. The ruling Union for the Republic (Union pour la République - UNIR) secured 83.0 per cent (34 of 41) the indirectly elected seats, while smaller opposition parties won 17.0 per cent (7 of 41). Several major opposition groups, including the Alliance Nationale pour le Changement (ANC) and Forces Démocratiques pour la République (FDR), boycotted the vote while describing it as a “constitutional coup d’etat” due to concerns that the larger package of reforms of which this election was a part of allow President Faure Gnassingbé to remain in power indefinitely. Foreign media were not accredited to cover the election.
Sources: Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante (1), Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante (2), News Central, Jeune Afrique, Bloomberg, Barron’s, International IDEA
September 2024
Failure to protect opposition party conference sparks outrage
On 29 September, armed individuals disrupted a conference organized by the opposition party Convention Démocratique des Peuples Africains (CDPA) in Lomé, injuring several attendees, including MPs and journalists. Witnesses reported that security forces stationed near the venue did not intervene during the attack. The CDPA condemned the incident, calling it an attempt to silence opposition voices and erode democratic freedoms. The lack of intervention by security personnel raised concerns about violations of the rights to freedom of assembly and expression as well as safety.
Sources: Ici Lome, Amnesty International
May 2024
Togo promulgates controversial new constitution
On 6 May, President Faure Gnassingbé promulgated amendments to the country’s constitution which, among other things, changes its presidential political system to one that experts have categorised as ‘assembly independent.’ Under this system, the head of government (the newly created President of the Council of Ministers, PoCM) is selected by parliament and can only be removed by a three-quarters parliamentary majority, effectively shielding the PoCM from accountability. The new framework does not impose a term limit on the head of government, raising widespread concerns that it may enable Gnassingbé, who looks set to become the first PoCM, to indefinitely continue his rule. Procedural concerns have also been raised, with opposition parties criticising the government’s failure to subject the reforms to a referendum and the passage of the reforms after the formal end to the parliamentary term.
Sources: République Togolaise, Constitution Net (1), Constitution Net (2), The Conversation, Reuters
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