Several civil society and human rights organizations, including Front Citoyen Togo Debout and Novation Internationale, announced on Tuesday in Lomé a nationwide day of civil disobedience on August 16, dubbed “Togo Mort” (“Dead Togo”). The peaceful action comes amid mounting political tensions and signals open support for the June 6 Movement (M66), which has called for a major protest on August 30, 2025.
In a joint statement, the organizations denounced what they called the “systematic banning of public demonstrations in Togo” and “the growing repression of fundamental freedoms.” They accused the government of enforcing a “policy of state lies” and deliberately denying citizens their constitutional rights, including the right to protest, guaranteed by both the Togolese Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
They noted that three legally declared demonstrations in recent months were banned by the Ministry of Territorial Administration for what they describe as “spurious reasons”: the electoral period, the post-election phase, or alleged security risks along the protest route. The latest decision suspending all peaceful gatherings until further notice was described as a “red line” and a “clear violation of the law.”
The “Togo Mort” initiative calls for businesses to close, professional activities to halt, and citizens to observe a day of silence and reflection. Organizers frame it as “an act of refusal refusing submission, the erasure of victims, and the silencing of civic voices.”
Beyond this symbolic protest, the OSCs made clear their full backing for the M66’s August 30 march. “When the government itself says that the only way for citizens to express themselves is to hold a spontaneous demonstration, and the M66 calls for such a spontaneous protest to defend the interests of the Togolese people, then it is time for us to support that call,” said Professor David Dosseh, a leading figure of Front Citoyen Togo Debout.
The M66, formed by Togolese artists and influencers after the arrest of fellow artist and regime critic Aamron, has since June demanded the resignation of President Faure Gnassingbé, a return to the 1992 Constitution, the release of all political prisoners, and the restoration of full internet access—restricted since the mass protests of June 6, 26, 27, and 28, 2025. Those demonstrations were met with heavy repression, leaving several injured and at least seven dead according to the civile society groups, deepening public distrust toward the government.
This wave of dissent was sparked by a recent and highly controversial constitutional change allowing Faure Gnassingbé, already in power for more than 20 years, to rule indefinitely, following the 38-year presidency of his late father.
Togo – Civil society backs M66 call for August 30 mass protest
