Togo Security Forces Break Up Protests Demanding President Gnassingbé’s Resignation

Security forces in Togo fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators in the capital, Lomé, as protests intensified against President Faure Gnassingbé’s continued rule.

Protesters erected barricades using concrete blocks across several neighbourhoods on Thursday, burned tyres, and hurled projectiles at police. The clashes were particularly intense in the Be district, an opposition stronghold, where several arrests were reported.

The unrest comes amid growing public anger over recent constitutional changes that critics say could allow Gnassingbé, in power since 2005, to remain indefinitely. The president was sworn in last month as head of the Council of Ministers—a position without official term limits—deepening fears of an entrenched autocracy.

Calls for nationwide protests from June 26 to 28 were issued by civil society groups and social media activists, following a government crackdown on demonstrations earlier this month.

A significant security presence, including military jeeps, was deployed across Lomé, prompting many businesses to shut down for the day.

“We’re hungry. Nothing works for Togolese youth anymore,” said Kossi Albert, a 30-year-old unemployed protester. “That’s why we’re out here this morning. I’ll be back again tomorrow.”

Government officials have yet to respond to criticism of the police response. Requests for comment from Hodabalo Awate, the Minister of Territorial Administration, went unanswered.

A coalition of opposition groups under the banner Hands Off My Constitution issued a statement on Facebook demanding the release of around 100 political prisoners and urgent action to address the country’s economic hardships. The group called for “an unprecedented peaceful demonstration.”

Gnassingbé succeeded his father in 2005 and has since remained a dominant figure in Togolese politics. His administration has faced repeated accusations of democratic backsliding and repression.