Togo held municipal elections on July 17 under tight security as protests erupted across the capital, Lome.
The vote comes at a time of rising anger over new constitutional reforms and the long rule of President Faure Gnassingbe, who has led the country since 2005.
The elections will fill 117 municipal seats across the country.
Despite their local scope, the vote is seen as a test of public sentiment toward Gnassingbe’s government following recent reforms that changed Togo’s political system.
The opposition says the new structure allows the president to hold power indefinitely through a newly created executive position—President of the Council of Ministers.
The constitutional amendment was approved by a UNIR-controlled parliament in April 2024.
It replaced the presidential system with a parliamentary one but introduced a new role that holds most of the powers previously associated with the presidency.
Gnassingbe was sworn into this position in May. The 86-year-old Jean-Lucien Savi de Tove was installed as president, but critics say he has little real authority.
Unrest flared again in June after the arrest of rapper and social media figure Aamron, who had called for protests on Gnassingbe’s birthday.
Demonstrations turned violent, with at least seven deaths reported, including two minors.
Activists blame security forces for the violence, while the government attributed the deaths to drowning incidents during the rainy season.
A civil society alliance, Le Front Citoyen Togo Debout, and the Catholic Church criticized the response.
Meanwhile, authorities issued international warrants against exiled activists tied to the M66 Movement, a group calling for resistance against the government.
Several activists abroad dismissed the charges and called for election boycotts.
Though some opposition parties joined the vote, others urged citizens to stay away.
The election follows decades without local polls, as central authorities had long appointed administrators.
Togo’s political future remains uncertain, with many citizens, especially youth, demanding real change after nearly six decades of rule by the Gnassingbe family.