By Daanyaal Matthews
Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé is facing mounting pressure to resign as widespread protests erupt across the country. The unrest follows his recent swearing-in as “President of the Council of Ministers,” a newly created role with no term limits. Opposition parties have condemned the move as a “constitutional coup.”
Speaking across VOC’s airwaves, Thelma Nyarhi, a researcher at the Democracy Development Programme, said the move echoes the legacy of Gnassingbé’s father, former president Gnassingbé Eyadéma, and reflects a broader trend of anti-democratic governance by the Gnassingbé family.
“Since the year 1963, when his father was president, it has literally been a country where coups and protests constantly happen. I think the difference here is that this family has actually been leading for 58 years and has been backed by the military. So it’s a military family constantly taking power, constantly changing the constitution to serve their own interests,” stated Nyarhi.
She noted that what sets the current protests apart is the significant role played by young people and the strategic use of digital platforms.
“This protest is quite different in that it’s a matter of utilizing the digital space to amplify their voices through that. Without that we would never have known this is happening, but it is through these digital spaces that we tend to see coalitions forming in support of the greater movement against this anti-democratic event,” added Nyarhi.
Listen to the full interview here:
