Death of child as political protests intensify in Togo

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Fresh demonstrations in the West African nation of Togo on Wednesday resulted in the death of a child and injuries to several others. Responsibility for the violence was disputed.

The mass protests – which are expected to continue on Thursday – are rooted in opposition to Faure Gnassingbé, who became president in 2005 after the death of his father Gnassingbé Eyadéma.

Gnassingbé Eyadéma took power in a coup in 1967, seven years after the country gained independence from France.

The protests over presidential limits began in August in the capital Lomé, but intensified after the opposition boycotted a vote on constitutional reform on Tuesday and have spread nationwide.

Opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre marches during a protest calling for the immediate resignation of President Faure Gnassingbé in Lomé, Togo, September 20, 2017. /Reuters Photo‍

"People think we will get tired, but they are wrong," veteran political opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre told thousands of supporters in Lomé on Wednesday. "We will fight till the end," Fabre said, calling for fresh demonstrations on September 26, 27, and 28.

Violence was sparked in the northern city of Mango on Wednesday after a series of opposition rallies drawing more than 100,000 people to the streets had passed peacefully earlier in the month. Responsibility for the death of a child and multiple injuries were disputed.

A man holds up a sign which reads, "leave power" during an opposition protest to call for the immediate resignation of President Faure Gnassingbé in Lomé, Togo, September 7, 2017. /Reuters Photo

"A child of about 10 was killed and 25 people were injured, including 10 by gunshot" during an opposition march in Mango in the far north, a source close to the presidency told AFP.

"Two gunmen suspected of belonging to the Pan African National Party (PNP)" of opposition leader Tikpi Atchadam "are actively being sought," the source said.

A Togolese human rights group close to the opposition said a child was killed and another person was injured in Mango after security forces fired on demonstrators.

Constitutional reform

A reform package introduced by the government on Tuesday included two five-year presidential limits, but was boycotted by the opposition because it does not apply until 2020. This would in theory allow President Faure Gnassingbé to stay in power until 2030.

The failure to pass the constitutional reform bill in parliament forced a referendum, which a member of the government said will be held in the coming months.

Half of Togo's population lives below the poverty line, according to the United Nations, despite a GDP growth rate of five percent over the last three years.

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Source(s): AFP