Togo’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Awaté Hodabalo, has banned a peaceful march planned by the association Novation Internationale, which was scheduled for August 9, 2025.
The march was intended to honor victims of recent demonstrations and denounce violence.
In a letter dated August 6, the minister justified the decision by citing a tense national climate, marked by “calls for hatred, mob justice, and attacks on security forces.” He also pointed to the planned route—running along the Bè Lagoon—as posing “a high risk of stampedes for demonstrators.”
Hodabalo noted that a judicial investigation into the deaths of protesters is still ongoing, and argued that the situation calls for patience rather than street mobilization.
The ban has reignited debate over respect for fundamental freedoms, coming just days after Togolese Minister Pacôme Adjourouvi told several French television networks that protests are not prohibited in Togo.
While expressing condolences for the victims, Hodabalo called for the preservation of public order.
The planned march comes in the wake of violent repression of protests in June, when civil society groups say at least seven people were killed—figures the government disputes. Those demonstrations were fueled by public outrage over a controversial new constitution widely perceived as a move to further entrench President Faure Gnassingbé’s power.
Calls to protest the reform spread quickly online, prompting what activists describe as an unofficial clampdown on the internet. Since then, access to platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and TikTok has been heavily restricted, with many users relying on VPNs to bypass the blockages.
Togo bans peace march honoring June protest victims
