Guy Marius Sagna, Senegalese politician and member of the ECOWAS parliament. Screenshot from the video “The Aftermath of the Attack on Guy Marius Sagna – An African Press Review” on the RFI Youtube Channel. Fair use.

On September 29, 2024, Guy Marius Sagna, a Senegalese politician and member of the parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), was attacked at an opposition party conference in Togo. This country is becoming increasingly intolerant of even the mildest form of public criticism.

Togolese conditions for holding public meetings

Although the Togolese Constitution, amended in August 2024, enshrines the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms for all Togolese citizens in its texts, another law establishing the conditions for freedom of expression and peaceful assembly restricts this fundamental freedom. Article 6 of this law stipulates that event organizers must first inform the relevant territorial authorities for approval. However, as explained in Article 8, certain restrictions may apply:

L'autorité administrative compétente ne peut prononcer l'ajournement ou l'interdiction d'une réunion ou d'une manifestation publique organisée dans un lieu privé que lorsque celle-ci est susceptible de troubler l'ordre public. La décision d'ajournement ou d'interdiction ne peut être prise que si l'autorité administrative compétente et les organisateurs de la réunion ou de la manifestation n'ont pas trouvé ensemble, dans le cadre de discussions préalables, des moyens adéquats pour éviter ces éventuels troubles à l'ordre public.

The relevant administrative authority may only postpone or prohibit a meeting or demonstration in a private setting if it is likely to disrupt public order. They may only postpone or prohibit an event if the relevant authorities and event organizers disagree in preliminary discussions on suitable actions to prevent any disruption to public order.

According to the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2024 World Press Freedom Index, Togo ranked 113 out of 180 countries. Peaceful public meetings and demonstrations are often subject to law enforcement restrictions. The latest example of such restrictions was the banned “Don't Touch My Constitution” campaign (a political movement established to block constitutional reforms) on August 9, 2024.

However, these restrictions haven't deterred opposition politicians and civil society actors from expressing disapproval. This abuse of rights has also come under criticism at an African level. In a statement published on April 14, 2024, the African Commission of Human and People's Rights criticized Togo for restricting demonstrations in March 2024 when the National Assembly passed a constitutional reform bill putting Togo under a parliamentary system. Although Togo was under a presidential system where citizens could freely choose their president for a five-year term before adopting this new constitution, parliament will now select the next president of the Togolese Republic for a single six-year term.

Attack on foreign politician in Togo

The Democratic Convention of African Peoples (CDPA), the Togolese opposition party, held its conference on September 29, 2024 amid an ongoing dispute between the Togolese state and its opposition. Guy Marius Sagna, a member of Senegal's ruling party, the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics, and Fraternity (PASTEF), attended this conference while representing the ECOWAS parliament in Togo.

Read: Senegalese parliamentarian Guy Marius Sagna defends the people in ECOWAS parliament

During this conference, Guy Marius Sagna and 20 or so Togolese politicians and journalists came under attack. According to information from the Togolese civil society organization, the Collective Associations Against Impunity in Togo (CACIT):

(…)des individus qui manifestement se trouvaient dans l’assemblée ont soudainement surgi et exercé une violence sanglante sur les personnes présentes. Ils auraient notamment fait usage de coups de poings, de chaises, de briques et de pavés dans cette manœuvre déplorable qui a porté atteinte à l’intégrité physique de plusieurs personnes dont les honorables Guy Marius Sagna et Brigitte Kafui Adjamagbo-Johnson, secrétaire générale du parti CDPA

(…)Individuals who were obviously at the meeting suddenly jumped out and launched a bloody attack on those present. During this appalling incident, these individuals reportedly flung punches, chairs, bricks, and stones, thus injuring several people, including Guy Marius Sagna and the CDPA Secretary General Brigitte Kafui Adjamagbo-Johnson.

On October 1, 2024, Radio France Internationale (RFI) quoted the Togolese national police as saying Sagna was aware of the illegal nature of this conference beforehand:

La police nationale togolaise a assuré (…) travailler étroitement avec les autorités judiciaires (…) pour faire toute la lumière sur les actes qui se sont produits. (…) Guy Marius Sagna avait été avisé de l'interdiction de la réunion projetée” et qu'il avait “été dûment informé des risques que comportaient ces activités (…) en violation des lois en vigueur au Togo.

The Togolese national police assured they were working closely with the judicial authorities to investigate this incident thoroughly. Guy Marius Sagna had been duly informed of the ban on the planned conference and the risks associated with activities violating applicable laws in Togo.

On the night of the incident, government spokesperson and Minister of Communications Yawa Kouigan told RFI:

Il y a (…) beaucoup de mauvaise foi, parce que le Togo est un pays de paix, de quiétude. Les circonstances déplorables dont nous parlons ne doivent pas nous amener à apporter des accusations gratuites (…) Je pense d'autant moins qu'on devrait pointer un doigt accusateur sur le Togo et sur ses autorités que la la liberté de réunion, la liberté d'expression, ne sont pas en question.

As Togo is a country of peace, there has been sweeping condemnation. The deplorable circumstances we speak about mustn't lead us to make unfounded accusations (…). I also don’t think we should point the finger at Togo and its authorities, as freedom of assembly and expression are not in question here.

Wave of indignation

In the hours following this attack, reactions and comments flooded social media networks. On the evening of September 29, 2024, Togolese politician Nathaniel Olympio alerted the public on X (formerly Twitter):

#Togo : Alors que le député du #Sénégal @GuyMariusSagna s'entretenait à #Lomé avec des collègues de l'opposition togolaise au siège du parti CDPA, la rencontre a été brutalement interrompue par une horde de miliciens.
Guy Marius Sagna serait blessé.

Dans le Togo dirigé par @FEGnassingbeoù le panafricanisme est le nouveau crédo du pouvoir, tenir une rencontre entre africains au siège d’un parti politique, cela provoque un déferlement de miliciens violents qui dispersent la rencontre. Le député sénégalais est de passage à Lomé dans le cadre d'une session délocalisée du Parlement de la CEDEAO.

To be continued . . . pic.twitter.com/Sx0Hvxahjg

— Nathaniel Olympio (@nathanielolymp) September 29, 2024

#Togo: While the Senegalese politician @GuyMariusSagna spoke with Togolese opposition party colleagues at the CDPA party headquarters in #Lomé, a crowd of militiamen brought the meeting to an abrupt halt.
Guy Marius Sagna was reportedly injured.

In a Gnassingbé-led Togo, a meeting between African citizens at a political party headquarters led to a mob of violent militiamen breaking up the meeting. The Senegalese politician was visiting Lomé as part of a delocalized meeting of the ECOWAS parliament.

To be continued . . . pic.twitter.com/Sx0Hvxahjg

— Nathaniel Olympio (@nathanielolymp) September 29, 2024

Comments left under Nathaniel Olympio’s post condemned this violence. According to most, the Gnassingbé family regime, which has been in power since 1967, fears a shift that does not favor them. The late Etienne Eyadéma Gnassingbé was in power from 1967 to 2005, and Faure Gnassingbé has been in power since 2005. The ChicVoisin account commented on X:

Les symptômes de la peur. La peur d'un changement qui tarde certes, mais reste inéluctable.
Travaillez à Identifier ces mercenaires et archivez bien leurs données, au moment venu les togolais s'en occuperont sans bavure.

Question de temps…

— ChicVoisin🇧🇯🇨🇮 (@LeFouParolier) September 29, 2024

Signs of fear. Fear of a shift that is not only long overdue but also inevitable.
Identify these mercenaries and record their details. When the time comes, the Togolese will deal with them effectively.

It’s just a matter of time…

— ChicVoisin🇧🇯🇨🇮 (@LeFouParolier) September 29, 2024

Read our special coverage: Togo, a country with a dual identity

Another account known as Palace added:

C'est complètement inacceptable ce manque de tolérance. Cette violence gratuite et lâche n'a pas sa place au Togo! Les autorités togolaises @PresidenceTg @FEGnassingbe doivent assumer leurs responsabilités en matière de sécurité des personnes et des biens!

— Palace (@aremsbee) September 29, 2024

This intolerance is completely unacceptable. This senseless and cowardly violence has no place in Togo! The Togolese authorities @PresidenceTg @FEGnassingbe must assume responsibility for the people’s safety!

— Palace (@aremsbee) September 29, 2024

In an interview with Radio France Internationale, David Dosseh, the spokesperson for the civil society coalition Front Citoyen Togo Debout (Togo Citizens Stand Up), who was present at the incident, stated:

C'est une espèce de sentiment de honte qu'un étranger, un frère sénégalais puisse subir autant de violences. Cela démontre qu'une fois encore au Togo, la violence est instrumentalisée par le pouvoir pour empêcher les gens de se réunir et pour empêcher les gens de s'exprimer.

The fact that a foreign politician, a Senegalese brother, should suffer such violence instills a sense of shame in Togo. This attack is yet another example of the powers that be using violence to prevent people from holding meetings and being heard.

What’s more, the ECOWAS parliament also  condemned this incident that one of its members suffered in Lomé on September 29:

Le Parlement de la CEDEAO rassure l’opinion qu’il suit de près les mesures prises par les autorités togolaises pour garantir la sécurité du député et les autres dispositions nécessaires dans de telles circonstances

The ECOWAS parliament wants to assure the public that it is closely monitoring the measures the Togolese authorities implement to ensure its member’s safety and the other necessary provisions in such circumstances.

Senegal itself calls for the Togolese authorities to open an investigation into the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Several news sites in the West African subregion have published articles on this deplorable incident, which goes against the fundamental principles of ECOWAS and its parliament. RFI published the article “Anger and indignation after an attack on Guy Marius Sagna,” summarizing various African media outlet publications.