Togo rocked by protests over reforms that could extend President Gnassingbé’s rule

LOME, Togo (AP) — Protesters and security forces clashed for a second straight day on Friday in Togo’s capital Lomé over recent constitutional reforms that could cement President Faure Gnassingbé’s long hold on power. Videos emerged showing apparent abuses by security forces.

Police fired tear gas in several neighborhoods of Lomé and reportedly used batons to beat protesters, severely injuring some, according to footage that appears to be from the scene.

Some videos showed what seem to be security units entering homes and assaulting residents with whips and clubs, while groups of men in plain clothes, believed to be auxiliary forces or self-defense units, patrolled parts of the capital with weapons in hand.

“We strongly condemn the violence with which unarmed protesters have been met,” Professor David Dosseh, spokesman for a coalition of a dozen civil society groups, told The Associated Press.

Internet access across the West African nation has been restricted, with social media platforms functioning intermittently.

Civil society groups and social media influencers had called for protests on June 26, 27 and 28, after the government’s clampdown on protests early this month.

Faure Gnassingbé, who has ruled since 2005 after the death of his father, was sworn in in May as President of the Council of Ministers. The powerful role has no official term limits and he is eligible to be re-elected by Parliament indefinitely.

Gnassingbe’s former job as national president, a position that is now mostly ceremonial, was given to politician Jean-Lucien Kwassi Savi de Tove after the announcement.

Opposition politicians have denounced the move as a “constitutional coup.”

Demonstrations are rare in Togo because they have been banned in the country since 2022 following a deadly attack at Lome’s main market.

But the latest change in government structure has been widely criticized in a region threatened by rampant coups and other threats to democracy.