Marguerite Gnakadé’s hunger strike exposes Togo’s political detention crisis

Since July 27, 2026, Togo’s former Defense Minister has refused all food to protest conditions in prison. Eleven months after her arrest for criticizing Faure Gnassingbé’s governance, she now represents nearly 60 political prisoners still behind bars.

On August 30, 2025, as Lomé erupted in protests against soaring living costs and a constitutional reform that shifted Togo to a parliamentary system, Essozimna Marguerite Gnakadé joined the demonstrations. The first woman to serve as Togo’s Defense Minister (2020-2022), she was quickly detained on September 17, 2025, for publicly questioning the president’s leadership.

From power to prison: one woman’s defiance

Gnakadé’s journey from government insider to political prisoner reflects Togo’s deepening crisis. Appointed Defense Minister in 2020 despite no military background, she was also the late Ernest Gnassingbé’s widow, brother of the current president. Her ties to power didn’t protect her when she chose dissent over compliance.

« We begin this fast not out of despair, but conviction. When justice is silent, our bodies become our final voice. » — Statement from hunger-striking political prisoners, November 2025

Desperate measures in Togo’s prisons

Gnakadé’s hunger strike mirrors a growing trend among Togo’s political prisoners. Since 2025, prolonged fasting has become one of the few tools available to demand better conditions. In December 2025, activists Grâce Koumayi and Abdoul Aziz Goma endured 50 days without food, forcing prison authorities to act. Human rights groups now demand urgent medical care for all hunger strikers.

From insiders to outcasts: the fate of Togo’s fallen elites

Gnakadé’s case stands apart from other jailed former officials. Kpatcha Gnassingbé, former Defense Minister and president’s half-brother, was freed in December 2025 after 16 years for an alleged coup attempt. General Félix Kadanga, former army chief, is serving 20 years for involvement in a colonel’s murder. Only Gnakadé remains imprisoned for expressing political dissent.

Constitutional reform sparks Togo’s unrest

Togo’s turmoil began in March 2024 when a new Constitution transformed the country into a parliamentary republic, allowing Faure Gnassingbé to remain in power indefinitely as Council of Ministers President. Opposition groups called it a « constitutional coup, » fueling the 2025 youth protests. The government responded with mass arrests, creating the current wave of political prisoners.

While a December 2025 presidential pardon freed 1,511 detainees, civil society groups estimate 70 political prisoners remain incarcerated.

Global calls mount for Togo’s political prisoners

The « Don’t Touch My Constitution » coalition and opposition parties continue pressing for the release of all political detainees. Reports indicate at least nine prisoners have died in custody since repression began, with others suffering lasting harm from mistreatment. Activists demand immediate, unconditional release for Gnakadé and her fellow hunger strikers, whose health deteriorates with each passing month behind bars.