It has been exactly one year since Marguerite Essossimna Gnakadé, a former minister of the armed forces, was taken into custody on September 17, 2025. The anniversary is a stark reminder of a political reality in Lomé: under President Faure Gnassingbé, crossing the red line of dissent almost always triggers an institutional or judicial backlash.
For the public and regional observers alike, the case of the former defense chief illustrates a well-honed doctrine of power. When a political or military figure steps out of line, the executive rarely responds with direct verbal confrontation. Instead, it uses a structured state apparatus in which the courts and health or security secrecy become tools of forced pacification.
Three paths for regime critics
The management of opposition in Togo follows a precise pattern. Traditionally, three trajectories emerge for those who challenge the government:
- Isolation and judicial proceedings: The case of Marguerite Gnakadé is the most recent example. Prosecuted for undermining the internal security of the state after publicly demanding reforms and the president’s resignation, her scope of action has been reduced to the silence of long-term detention.
- Political exile: Over the past two decades, several leading opposition figures and former dissident officials have left the country in the face of security pressure or legal action, effectively neutralizing their influence on the national stage.
- Co-optation and selective dialogue: For moderate opponents or critical voices seen as conciliatory, the Lomé government has regularly favored negotiation, piecemeal institutional reforms, or integration into transitional bodies.
The relentless mechanics of silence
What stands out in President Faure Gnassingbé’s method is the mastery of time. Unlike regimes that react with media spectacles, the Togolese government prefers to let time weaken the momentum of protests. Once the initial shock wave of an arrest fades, legal cases often get bogged down in lengthy procedures, far from the spotlight of current events.
As the country continues its institutional shift toward the Fifth Republic, the detention of such emblematic figures as a former minister of the armed forces is a reminder that the stability promoted by Lomé rests on strict control. This strategy ensures continuity of the state, but it continues to fuel criticism from human rights organizations about the gradual shrinking of civic and political space in Togo.
