Togo’s political tensions are reaching a boiling point as a coalition of seven opposition parties and civil society organizations announced their full support for youth-led protests scheduled from June 26 to 28, 2025. The demonstrations, set to take place across the country, are in response to mounting discontent over the controversial new constitution adopted in April, which critics say undermines democratic governance and strengthens presidential power. At a press conference in Lomé on Tuesday, the coalition—including key opposition groups such as the Democratic Forces for the Republic (FDR), National Alliance for Change (ANC), and the Togolese Party—voiced concern over what they describe as a rising wave of authoritarianism and human rights violations under President Faure Gnassingbé’s administration.
Youth organizers say the protest is a peaceful call for institutional reform, electoral transparency, and civic freedoms. “We’re tired of being sidelined. This is our future, and we want to shape it,” said Kossi Dabla, a student leader helping coordinate the march. The constitutional reform, passed by the National Assembly without a referendum, has been widely criticized for introducing a parliamentary system seen by many as a ploy to allow the current president to extend his rule beyond constitutional limits. Togo has been ruled by the Gnassingbé family for over five decades.
With security forces already deployed in several cities and opposition figures calling for non-violence, the protest is expected to test both the government’s response and the strength of grassroots mobilization in the country. International human rights observers have urged authorities to respect freedom of assembly and expression.
