Tensions surrounding Togo’s Fifth Republic have reached a critical international stage. A coalition of 43 civil society organisations (CSOs) from Africa and its diaspora has issued a joint open letter, urging the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU), and the United Nations to impose sanctions against the Togolese government. The move follows a landmark ruling by the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, which deemed the March 2024 constitutional reform an unconstitutional change of government.
This unprecedented diplomatic and grassroots campaign targets the political shift in Togo, calling on continental and global bodies to take decisive action against authorities in Lomé. The coalition’s appeal is rooted in the court’s ruling (case no. ECW/CCJ/JUD/01/26), which found that the constitutional amendments adopted on 25 March 2024 violate the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG).
According to the CSOs, the transition from a presidential to a parliamentary system—shifting executive power to a Council President—amounts to institutional circumvention designed to bypass term-limit restrictions. They further highlight that the amendments were passed by lawmakers whose mandates had expired, without any public consultation through a referendum.
Five key sanctions demanded against Togo’s government
To deter similar constitutional breaches across the region, the signatories are pushing ECOWAS and the AU to move beyond verbal condemnations and implement five concrete measures:
- Immediate suspension of Togo from ECOWAS decision-making bodies;
- Suspension of voting rights and participation in African Union activities;
- Legal proceedings against those responsible for the institutional overhaul;
- Review of diplomatic mandates granted to Togolese officials linked to the regime;
- Designation of a UN Special Rapporteur to monitor human rights and governance in Togo.
Lomé fires back: national sovereignty and court’s alleged incompetence
In response to the court’s decision and mounting pressure, the Togolese government has remained defiant. In an official statement addressing the ruling, authorities categorically rejected the Community Court’s findings.
Lomé argues that the ECOWAS Court lacks jurisdiction to review domestic constitutional matters or assess the sovereign constituent power of a member state. The government insists that the transition to the Fifth Republic is an exclusively national affair, aimed at modernising the country’s institutions.
