For more than a month now, thousands of Togolese citizens have been protesting across Togo in what political pundits have termed as a major political crisis in the making. In September, a nine-year-old boy died during the protests in Mango town, northern Togo, while over 70 people sustained serious injuries in Bafilo town, about 400km north of Lome. They say they are tired of President Faure Gnassingbé’s rule, which has been marred by claims of impunity, corruption and human rights abuses. The Togolese protests have come at a time when many African leaders are forcefully amending their constitutions to extend their stay in power. Analysts foresee a situation where similar protests will start to happen in other African countries where presidents have prolonged their stay in office.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 12, 2017 13:41 UTC