The price of dissent in Lomé

One year. That is how long has passed since Marguerite Essossimna Gnakadé, a former minister of the armed forces, was taken into custody on 17 September 2025. For ordinary Togolese, the anniversary is not merely symbolic. It is a reminder of what happens when someone crosses the line drawn by President Faure Gnassingbé — and of the bill that citizens, businesses and the wider economy end up paying.

The case has become a reference point for how power responds to criticism in Lomé. When a political or military figure steps away from the official line, the reaction rarely takes the form of open verbal confrontation. Instead, the machinery of the state moves into gear, with the courts and security or health secrecy used as tools of forced calm.

Three paths for those who speak out

Opposition figures in Togo tend to follow one of three routes, each with its own consequences for public life:

• Isolation and prosecution: Marguerite Gnakadé is the most recent example. Charged with undermining the internal security of the state after publicly demanding reforms and the president’s resignation, she saw her room for action reduced to the silence of a long 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 proceedings, effectively neutralising their influence at home.
• Co-optation and selective dialogue: For moderate opponents or critical voices seen as willing to compromise, the authorities in Lomé have regularly preferred negotiation, piecemeal institutional reforms or integration into transitional bodies.

How silence is engineered — and sustained

What stands out in Faure Gnassingbé’s approach is the command of time. Unlike regimes that react with loud media gestures, the Togolese authorities prefer to let time wear down the momentum of protests. Once the initial shock of an arrest fades, court cases often become bogged down in lengthy procedures, far from the spotlight.

For citizens, the effects are tangible: a climate of caution, self-censorship in public debate and a narrowing of the space where grievances can be aired. For businesses, the uncertainty that accompanies a shrinking civic space can weigh on investment decisions and on the confidence of international partners.

A stability built on strict control

As the country continues its institutional shift towards the Fifth Republic, the detention of a figure as prominent as a former armed forces minister is a reminder that the stability promoted by Lomé rests on tight control. The strategy ensures continuity of the state, but it keeps fuelling criticism from human rights organisations about the gradual shrinking of civic and political space in Togo — and about the long-term consequences for the country’s social and economic fabric.

By Boureima Amadou — Reporter