A wave of violent repression has gripped the Togolese capital Lomé, where arbitrary arrests, forced disappearances, and reports of police brutality have drawn urgent concern from Amnesty International.
In a statement issued on July 3, the human rights organisation condemned what it described as the “unnecessary and excessive use of force” by Togo’s security forces.
The crackdown began on June 26, targeting demonstrators protesting what they view as an increasingly authoritarian government.
Amnesty has documented alleged unlawful killings, torture, and kidnappings.
Amnesty gathered testimonies from 18 individuals, either victims themselves or direct eyewitnesses. Thirteen of them detailed acts of violence committed by soldiers, gendarmes, and plainclothes militia.
In Avénou, a local recounted the night of June 30: “Three pickup trucks and a car arrived at full speed. Men in civilian clothes forced our door, ordered us to kneel, weapons pointed, and then beat us.”
Another man, aged 38, reported being beaten unconscious by soldiers during a protest in Attiégou on June 26.
A 17-year-old boy said he was detained in three different gendarmerie centres over five days. “If we gave up, they beat us with cords […].
All day long, we only had a bag of water.” He claimed over 40 people, including minors, were held with him.
Disappearances and deaths have further deepened the crisis. Since June 27, three individuals have gone missing following a raid by unidentified men in Adidogomé. One was broadcasting live on TikTok when the stream was abruptly cut.
Two bodies, including that of a 16-year-old boy, were discovered in the Bè lagoon the next day.
Local civil society groups say they have confirmed at least seven deaths, reporting gunshot wounds and severe beatings on the bodies.
The government maintains the deaths were due to drowning, citing forensic reports—claims that have failed to convince families or human rights advocates.
The unrest follows a controversial constitutional change in April 2024 that granted sweeping powers to the president of the Council of Ministers, a role now held by long-time ruler Faure Gnassingbé, in office since 2005.
Peaceful protests have frequently been banned, while independent journalists face prosecution. Amnesty had already reported cases of torture against arrested protesters in June.
“Full light must be shed on these deaths and the fate of those who have disappeared,” said Fabien Offner, Amnesty’s West Africa researcher.
“Those detained simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly must be released.”
The exact number of those arrested remains uncertain.
Lawyer Darius K. Atsoo told Amnesty that 31 people were still in detention as of June 30, while 18 had been released. Six individuals were still missing by July 2.
“Independent and transparent investigations must be opened urgently,” urged Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty’s interim regional director.
Despite official claims that the situation is “under control,” a heavy silence now hangs over Lomé—a city marked by fear, unanswered questions, and the haunting presence of bodies discovered under mysterious circumstances.
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