Togo’s parliament has extended the state of emergency that has been in effect in the northeast of the country since last June. It remains valid until March 2023. The deputies passed the measure unanimously yesterday, Tuesday.
Terrorism is gaining ground in the Sahel. And each government takes the necessary measures according to its means. In Togo, following several terrorist threats in the northern part of the country, the government declared a three-month state of emergency in the far north last June. Indeed, the Togolese constitution allows the Head of State to establish a state of emergency, but beyond a period of three months, it is up to the National Assembly to decide on its validity.
Meeting yesterday in Kara, about 400 km north of Lomé, the elected representatives of the people expressed their concern and unanimously extended the state of emergency. “Faced with attacks against our peaceful people, our objective (…) is to give the defense and security forces the necessary means to stop the threat,” said the President of the National Assembly, Yawa Djigbodi Tsegan. The state of emergency in Togo is then valid until March 2023.
The measure aims to effectively combat terrorist attacks in this part of the country, which borders Burkina Faso. It will also give the authorities a free hand in their mission to protect the population or to prevent the terrorist threat. Since November 2021, Togo has been the victim of five attempted terrorist attacks. The most deadly was last July when armed men took four villages hostage. No official toll has been taken, but local media report that 15 to 20 people were killed.
