Security forces disperse Togo protesters demanding president’s resignation
Al Jazeera7 days
Togo Rights Groups Say Seven Killed in Anti-Government Protests
Above: Members of the Togolese Gendarmerie are seen operating in Lomé on June 6, 2025. Image copyright: AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
The government acted professionally to maintain public order against foreign-orchestrated disinformation campaigns designed to destabilize republican institutions. Security forces showed restraint while protecting citizens from violent protesters who illegally blocked streets and destroyed property. Forensic evidence proves the deaths were accidental drownings unrelated to legitimate law enforcement operations.
Government-critical narrative
Decades of authoritarian rule by the Gnassingbé family have stifled democratic progress and perpetuated violence against citizens demanding basic rights. The brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters represents another chapter in Togo's history of human rights abuses, torture, and extrajudicial killings that require international intervention to support democratic reforms.