Togolese security forces have arrested Marguerite Gnakadè, the sister-in-law of President Faure Gnassingbé and a former defense minister, at her home in Lomé on Wednesday, according to local media and security sources. Gnakadè, who led the Defense Ministry from 2020 to 2022 and is the widow of Ernest Gnassingbé, the president’s late brother, has in recent months become one of the most outspoken critics of the ruling family. She repeatedly called for President Gnassingbé to step down and end his family’s decades-long grip on power.
Faure Gnassingbé has ruled Togo since 2005, following the death of his father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who governed the small West African nation with an iron hand for 38 years. Together, the dynasty has controlled the country for nearly six decades, drawing frequent criticism from opposition groups and rights organizations. Her arrest comes amid heightened political tensions. In May, Faure Gnassingbé assumed the newly created role of President of the Council of Ministers after a controversial constitutional reform that removed term limits and concentrated executive power in his hands.
The constitutional changes triggered widespread protests across Togo, but demonstrations were violently dispersed by security forces. Rights groups have condemned the crackdown as another sign of shrinking civic space. Critics say Gnakadè’s detention underscores the regime’s intolerance of dissent, even within its own ranks. Opposition voices on social media have decried the arrest as politically motivated and emblematic of the regime’s deepening authoritarianism.
