The Republic of Togo has been plunged into turmoil following widespread agitations and protests against constitutional reforms that allow the current president, Faure Gnassingbé, to remain in power indefinitely.
Youth groups and activists are at the forefront of the protests, demanding his immediate resignation. These are the first mass demonstrations since 2022, when a ban on mass demonstrations was imposed.
Faure Gnassingbé, son of former President Gnassingbé Eyadéma, assumed office in 2005 following his father’s death. Now 59 years old, he has led the country for two decades.
In May 2025, just after completing 20 years in office, he was sworn in as the first President of the Council of Ministers, a powerful position with no official term limits. Opposition figures have described this move as a ‘constitutional coup.’