Protests erupted in Lomé, Togo’s capital, on Thursday, June 26, 2025, as hundreds of demonstrators, led by Gen Z and supported by frustrated citizens, clashed with security forces over controversial constitutional changes that could allow President Faure Gnassingbé to remain in power indefinitely.
The unrest, marked by tear gas, burning tyres, and concrete barricades, reflects growing public outrage against Gnassingbé’s 20-year rule, which followed his father Eyadéma Gnassingbé’s 38-year presidency.
Protesters are demanding Gnassingbé’s resignation and a return to democratic principles, accusing the regime of orchestrating a “constitutional coup” to entrench power.
The demonstrations, which continued into Friday, saw heavy police and military presence in Lomé’s Bè neighbourhood, a stronghold of the opposition.
Security forces used tear gas and batons to disperse crowds, arresting around 10 protesters, according to reports from Reuters and AP News. Civil society groups and social media influencers had called for protests on June 26–28, defying a 2022 ban on demonstrations following a deadly attack at Lomé’s main market.
Posts on X, including one from @AyidaDany, noted that barricades helped block police reprisals, with resistance planned to persist.
The coalition “Hands Off My Constitution” condemned the arrests, demanding the release of approximately 100 political prisoners and an end to Gnassingbé’s “repressive” regime.
The constitutional changes, enacted in March 2024, shifted Togo to a parliamentary system, replacing direct presidential elections with a powerful President of the Council of Ministers role, which Gnassingbé assumed in May 2025.
This position, with no term limits and renewable by parliament, has been denounced by opposition parties like the Democratic Forces for the Republic and the National Alliance for Change as a tactic to perpetuate the Gnassingbé dynasty’s 58-year rule.
Critics, including Professor David Dosseh, argue that the move eliminates democratic accountability, with no referendum held to validate the changes.
The opposition’s boycott of the April 2024 elections, marred by fraud allegations, allowed Gnassingbé’s Union pour la République (UNIR) party to secure 108 of 113 parliamentary seats, consolidating his grip.
Togo’s history of political repression fuels the unrest. Since 2005, when Gnassingbé succeeded his father through a military-backed transition, protesters have faced violent crackdowns.
In 2005, security forces killed hundreds during demonstrations, and in 2017–2018, mass protests demanding term limits ended with a government truce that was later undermined.
The 2019 reinstatement of a two-term limit was not applied retroactively, allowing Gnassingbé to plan for power until 2031, now extended by the new constitution. The 1991 Bè lagoon massacre, where 28 bodies were found after a curfew, remains a grim reminder of state violence.
Gen Z protesters, inspired by regional movements like Senegal’s 2024 election upset, are leveraging social media to amplify their cause, with hashtags like #TogoProtests trending on social media.
The government’s internet restrictions and media clampdowns, including a 2013 attempt to regulate outlets, have drawn criticism from groups like Amnesty International and CIVICUS, who highlight Togo’s shrinking civic space. Public prosecutor Talaka Mawama defended the arrests, calling the protests a “revolt against the Republic”.
The unrest reflects broader regional concerns about democratic backsliding, with Togo’s situation compared to recent coups in West Africa.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been urged to intervene, but its silence has frustrated activists. As Lomé braces for more protests, the demand for Gnassingbé’s resignation and democratic reforms grows louder, with Gen Z at the forefront of a movement challenging decades of dynastic rule.
Since last night, the youth of #Togo have risen in defiance against the dictatorial regime of @FEGnassingbe. After two decades in power, Faure Gnassingbé scrapped presidential elections from the constitution to secure a lifetime grip on power, following in the footsteps of his… pic.twitter.com/9LBj1DzxKD
— Farida Bemba Nabourema (@Farida_N) June 26, 2025
