Prior to colonization, the land that is today Togo was settled by various tribes, including the Kabye who came from the north 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 peoples. From the late 19th century 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 by two presidents: Gnassingbé Eyadéma (until 2005) and thereafter his son, Faure Gnassingbé. These leaders have maintained power through a combination of repression and patronage. The ruling party, Union Pour la République, holds a large majority of seats in the country’s unicameral parliament, the Assemblée Nationale Togolaise, and a new constitution promulgated in 2024 changed the political system in ways that critics fear will enable Faure Gnassingbé to indefinitely continue his rule.

For the general population, issues of development, democracy, and corruption loom large. The country performs poorly on key indices of development, as poor health and education inhibit Togo’s economic potential. While the government has made large-scale investments in infrastructure, it has not been able to lift the majority of the population out of poverty. Togo’s opposition began to hold rallies again in early 2023 after a two-year ban, criticizing the government for inaction on the worsening security situation in the North, which since 2021 has been plagued by a jihadist insurgency. Opposition parties also regularly refuse to recognize election results and call for protests against the government and its repressive tactics. Finally, corruption is a concern for Togolese citizens, as graft is widespread and financial scandals regularly erupt.

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 the President Gnassingbé’s Kabye tribe, that 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 and in the military.

Over the past two decades, Togo has seen improvements in Gender Equality. 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 discriminatory attitudes and criminalization of same-sex conduct. 

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 be important to watch Civil Liberties, following a recent escalation in government repression of civil society, political opponents and the media. The insecurity in the north of the country should also be monitored, as developments there have the potential to impact Togo’s performance across all Global State of Democracy Indices.   

Last updated: July 2024