Togo is a small West African country that has been ruled by the same family for more than five decades. The current president, FaureEssozimna Gnassingbé, is the son of Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who seized power in a coup in 1967 and ruled until his death in 2005 . Faure Gnassingbé was appointed as his successor by the military and parliament, in violation of the constitution, which stipulated that the speaker of parliament should become interim president . This sparked protests and international condemnation, forcing Faure Gnassingbé to resign and call for elections .
In April 2005, Faure Gnassingbé won the presidential
election with 60% of the vote, according to official results, but the
opposition and observers denounced widespread fraud and violence . The election
was followed by a wave of unrest that left hundreds of people dead and
thousands displaced . Despite the controversy, Faure Gnassingbé was sworn in as
president and recognized by most African countries and France .
Faure Gnassingbé has since consolidated his power through
constitutional changes and successive re-elections. In 2010, he won a second
term with 61% of the vote, in an election that was deemed more transparent and
peaceful than the previous one, but still marred by irregularities and
intimidation . In 2015, he won a third term with 59% of the vote, in another
election that was criticized by the opposition and civil society for lack of
fairness and transparency . In 2019, he pushed through a constitutional
amendment that allowed him to run for two more terms and granted him immunity
from prosecution after leaving office . In 2020, he won a fourth term with 72%
of the vote, in an election that was boycotted by some opposition parties and
denounced by others for fraud and repression .
Faure Gnassingbé has faced persistent challenges from the opposition and civil society, who have demanded democratic reforms and an end to his family's rule. In 2017 and 2018, massive protests rocked the country, calling for term limits and electoral changes . The government responded with a crackdown that resulted in dozens of deaths, hundreds of arrests and internet shutdowns . In 2019, he pushed through a constitutional amendment that allows him to run for two additional terms from 2020, which could keep him in power until 2030.
Faure Gnassingbé has been the current president of Togo for
more than 16 years. He is the son of Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who ruled the country
for almost 38 years. He is the leader of the Union for the Republic (UNIR)
party, which holds an absolute majority in the National Assembly. He claims to
have initiated political, economic and social reforms to modernize the country
and strengthen democracy, but he is criticized by his opponents for his lack of
respect for human rights, his authoritarian management of power and his
repression of peaceful demonstrations.