Togo protests against new constitution

Hundreds of people have gathered in the southern Togolese town of Vogan to protest against a new constitution adopted last year, which they claim allows President Faure Gnassingbe to maintain his power indefinitely.

The rally, organized by the National Concertation Council for Change in Togo (CNCC), brought together opposition parties and civil society organizations for the second time this month, after a first mobilization in May.

Protesters held banners with slogans like ‘No to unconstitutional government change’ or ‘Constitutional coup’, denouncing a reform they consider illegitimate.

‘The 2024 constitution is completely illegal. It’s a constitutional coup that Togolese will never accept,’ said David Dosseh, the spokesperson for the Front Citizen Togo Debout (FCTD), one of the organizations behind the rally.

The new constitutional law came into effect in 2024 and has significantly changed Togo’s institutions. It abolished direct presidential elections and established a parliamentary system. The president of the Council now holds the top executive position, which is currently occupied by Faure Gnassingbe, who has been in power since 2005.

Opposition and civil society groups argue that this reform aims to extend his rule indefinitely, while the government defends the text, saying it strengthens institutional representation.

Tensions surrounding this reform have led to protests in 2025, resulting in seven deaths according to civil society, while the prosecution cites five drownings.

Last month, a CEDEAO court ruling deemed the reform ‘an unconstitutional change of government’. The Togolese government rejected this decision, saying the court overstepped its limits, which are limited to checking human rights and customary law without being able to rule on domestic constitutional matters.