LOME, Togo (AP) — The family courtyard where Jacques Koami Koutoglo, a 15-year-old boy, once played football with his cousins now lies silent. The deflated ball rests beside a bundle of firewood, a stark reminder of his youthful dreams. Jacques's uncle, Koutoglo Kossi Mawuli, voiced his grief, stating, “Jacques died for Togo.”
Jacques is among the fatalities from the mass protests that erupted in Togo against constitutional changes, which many fear will solidify President Faure Gnassingbé's grip on power and extend a ruling dynasty that has persisted for over half a century. Gnassingbé, who has ruled Togo since 2005 following his father's death, was recently sworn in as the president of the newly formed Council of Ministers, which lacks term limits, enabling him to potentially remain in power indefinitely.
Local civil society groups and social media influencers called for protests in June 2025 after the government announced a clampdown on demonstrations. Many young Togolese citizens are inspired by recent youth-led uprisings throughout West Africa that have opposed entrenched regimes. Koutoglo had just completed secondary school and was looking forward to his exam results. He aspired to be a footballer, often practicing in the evenings while assisting at his uncle’s cafeteria during school breaks.
On the day of the protests, June 26, 2025, Jacques went missing. Mawuli recounted, “Since our family compound is large and full of cousins, we assumed he was with someone else.” However, as night fell and the boy had not returned, the family’s unease transformed into panic. The following day, a fisherman discovered a body floating in the lagoon near their home. The family rushed to the scene, where they found Koutoglo’s lifeless body, bruised and bloodied.
Mawuli asserted that Jacques had not participated in any rally but likely panicked amid the chaos of tear gas and gunshots. Civil society groups reported that at least five people, including Jacques, died during the protests, with dozens more suffering injuries. They accused security forces of clashing with civilians, making arbitrary arrests, and vandalizing property. Witnesses in Koutoglo's neighborhood, Bè, described security forces aggressively pursuing youths, even invading private homes.
“They came into our courtyard. They fired gas. They beat people,” a neighbor explained under the condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation. Jacques was buried promptly in accordance with local customs for those who die violently, while the other victims were taken to a morgue. His uncle stated that the family intends to file charges and demand an independent investigation into his nephew’s death, emphasizing, “You can’t just beat our children to death and expect us to be silent. We are tired.”
Civil society representatives lamented that the justice system had made no arrests and did not request an autopsy. “These acts, marked by unspeakable cruelty, amount to a state crime,” they asserted in a statement. In an official address, the Togo government acknowledged the recovery of bodies from the Bè lagoon and Akodessewa lake but attributed their deaths to drowning, promising further investigation.
Koutoglo’s name has tragically joined a lengthening list of young lives lost during national unrest in Togo. “This is not the first time,” Mawuli commented, recalling similar incidents from 2017, suggesting that little has changed since then. He added, “But this time, we refuse to stay quiet.” Mass protests also occurred in 2017 and 2018, where a government crackdown led to at least 16 fatalities, primarily among teenagers.
New demonstrations were announced for July 16 and 17, 2025. Fabien Offner, an Amnesty International researcher, remarked that Togo has a “repressive architecture” instigating arbitrary arrests, beatings, and a climate of impunity. He noted, “They’re routine now, and the lack of global reaction only deepens the crisis.”
Government spokesman Gilbert Bawara defended the state’s actions, claiming that the constitutional changes followed proper procedures and refuting allegations of systemic abuse. “If there are grievances, let them be addressed through lawful channels,” he stated. However, critics argue that, given the sidelining of opposition figures, the ruling party’s dominance over institutions, and the widespread perception of flawed elections, such channels appear to offer little hope.
