Just when it seemed democracy in Africa could not face more turmoil, a quiet but seismic shift occurred in Togo. While the streets of Kenya burned with protest and leaders like Paul Biya in Cameroon clung to power, President Faure Gnassingbé executed a maneuver that was as sophisticated as it was devastating to the democratic dream. In plain sight, he didn’t just rewrite the constitution; he changed the rules of the game entirely to ensure he would never have to leave.
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This was a clean, quiet hijack of a nation—accomplished not with bullets and tanks, but with signatures and legal jargon. It raises a haunting question for the continent: Is democracy in Africa truly about the sovereignty of the people, or has it become a sophisticated cloak for those in charge to stay in charge indefinitely?
A History of Resistance and Betrayal
Togo’s political crisis did not begin yesterday. It is rooted in the very moment the nation sought its freedom from France. In 1960, Togo’s first president, Sylvanus Olympio, was a man with a vision of true sovereignty. He rejected the continued French military presence and refused to adopt the CFA Franc, the West African currency tied to the French treasury. He wanted Togo to control its own money and its own destiny.
His vision was cut short. In 1963, just three years after independence, Olympio was assassinated in a military coup led by Etienne Eyadéma (later known as Gnassingbé Eyadéma), a man recently dismissed from the French army. Olympio’s body was found outside the American embassy, and with him, the dream of an independent Togo was buried.
In 1967, Eyadéma seized full power and ruled with an iron grip for 38 years. When he died mid-flight in 2005, the military did not follow the constitutional line of succession; instead, they immediately handed power to his son, Faure Gnassingbé. Except for a brief period of stepping down under international pressure, the Gnassingbé family has now ruled Togo for 57 of its 64 years of independence.
The 2024 “Legal” Coup
In April 2024, the government pushed through a constitutional amendment that effectively ended Togo’s presidential system. On paper, it was framed as progress: the country moved to a parliamentary system where the president becomes a ceremonial figurehead with a single six-year term.
But the “catch” was hidden in the details. Real executive power was transferred to a newly created position: President of the Council of Ministers. This role:
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Has no term limits.
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Wields full control over the government and armed forces.
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It is automatically granted to the leader of the majority party in Parliament.
By securing his party’s dominance in the April 2024 legislative elections—elections the opposition decried as manipulated—Faure Gnassingbé stepped into this new role. He didn’t need to run for president again; he simply moved into a position that allows him to rule for life without ever facing a direct vote from the 8 million citizens of Togo.
The Cost of Silence: Poverty and Repression
While the leadership lives in luxury, the everyday Togolese person faces a grim reality. Despite being rich in gold, diamonds, limestone, and uranium, the country remains one of the poorest in the region. In rural areas, 72% of the population lives below the poverty line.
When people try to speak out, the response is swift and brutal. In June 2025, a wave of “Gen-Z” protests erupted, sparked by the arrest of 26-year-old rapper Aamron (Essowè Narcisse Tchalla). Aamron had used TikTok to urge young people to protest the constitutional power grab. He was arrested, allegedly beaten, and later appeared in a forced-looking video apologizing to the President from a psychiatric center—a tactic critics say was used to discredit his sanity and silence his message.
During the June 26 protests, security forces used tear gas and armored trucks to chase protesters through the streets of Lomé. Dozens were arrested, and reports of torture in custody surfaced. Yet, the international community—including ECOWAS and the African Union—has remained largely silent. Unlike the swift sanctions imposed on military juntas in Niger or Mali, the “legal” subversion of democracy in Togo has been met with a shrug.
A Generation in the Shadow
More than 60% of Togo’s population is under 30. This generation has never seen a peaceful transition of power. They have grown up under one family, watching as votes feel increasingly useless and the future feels further away. For many, the only hope is to leave, risking their lives on dangerous migration routes rather than staying in a country where their voices are systematically erased.
Togo’s case is a warning to the rest of the world. It proves that a dictator in a suit, who organizes sham elections and uses legal maneuvers to stay in power, is often more “dangerous” than one in a uniform. One is condemned; the other is invited to international summits.
Is Togo still a democracy, or has it become a family dynasty disguised as a republic?