Protests erupt in Togo, demand president’s exit

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    LOME, Togo — Tensions escalated in Togo’s capital, Lomé, on Thursday, as demonstrators clashed with security personnel in opposition to constitutional changes that could potentially extend President Faure Gnassingbé’s rule indefinitely.
    A noticeable increase in police presence was observed across Lomé, resulting in many businesses shutting their doors.
    Protesters, numbering in the hundreds, constructed barricades using concrete blocks across various neighborhoods, and some set tires on fire while hurling objects towards security forces.
    Military vehicles were dispatched to reinforce areas experiencing heightened unrest.
    Authorities managed to disperse dozens of protesters with tear gas and detained about 10 individuals in the Bè neighborhood, a hub for opposition supporters.
    Civil society organizations and social media activists had previously encouraged protests on June 26, 27, and 28, in response to the government’s earlier decision to restrict demonstrations at the beginning of the month.
    A coalition of political opponents, known as “Hands Off My Constitution,” criticized the government’s recent actions, urging in an online post on Wednesday for President Gnassingbé to release approximately one hundred political detainees without conditions and to urgently address the nation’s economic concerns.
    The group called for an “unprecedented peaceful demonstration” to make their voices heard.
    Faure Gnassingbé, who has held the presidency since 2005 after succeeding his father, was recently appointed as President of the Council of Ministers in May.
    This influential position is not subject to official term limits, allowing him the possibility of indefinite re-election by the parliament.
    Opposition leaders have condemned this development, labeling it a “constitutional coup.”
    Although demonstrations are uncommon in Togo due to a ban imposed in 2022 following a deadly incident at Lomé’s primary market, the recent governance changes have drawn widespread criticism in a region already struggling with frequent coups and other destabilizing threats to democracy.