Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

Togo Mourns Teen Protest Victim as Crackdown Deepens and Youth Defiance Grows
July 10, 2025 Hour: 2:27 pm The death of 15-year-old Jacques Koami Koutoglo, whose bruised body was found floating in the Bè Lagoon after mass protests in Togo, has become a symbol of the country’s deepening political crisis and generational...

Togo protest crackdown raises fears of worsening political crisis
The family courtyard where Jacques Koami Koutoglo played soccer with his cousins in a working-class neighbourhood of Togo's capital is silent today. The ball he once held aloft lies deflated next to a bundle of firewood. "Jacques died for Togo,"...

Togo issues international arrest warrants for leaders behind civil protests
The government of Togo has issued international arrest warrants targeting leaders of the M66 Citizens’ Movement, a collective of bloggers and activists who organised nationwide protests on 6th, 26th, 27th, and 28th June, 2025. The movement had...

Lomé Pushes to Become Africa’s Compliance Capital by 2026
(Togo First) - Togo reaffirmed its commitment on Tuesday to become a central player in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) in Africa. For the second consecutive year, Lomé has hosted the Grand Meeting of Compliance...

Germany Grants €500,000 to Boost German Teaching in Togo
(Togo First) - Germany has allocated €500,000 (about CFA328 million) to support the teaching of German in Togo’s secondary schools. The German Embassy in Lomé is using the funds to subsidize the distribution of 13,000 new German textbooks, titled...

‘One too many’: rapper’s arrest sparks protests against Togo’s ruling dynasty
On the night last month that he and 34 other young people were arrested in the Togolese capital, Lomé, for coordinating an anti-government demonstration, Bertin Bandiangou said gendarmes beat him with ropes and slapped him. The next morning he was...

Harmattan hazards: How coastal west Africa can escape the Sahel’s fate
Summary Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo, are under pressure from two threats: jihadists and putschists. In these west African coastal states, armed Islamist groups increasingly cross northern borders, wreaking havoc. Civilian governments are...

‘He just wanted to play football': A family mourns a 15-year-old as Togo cracks down on protests
LOME, Togo (AP) — The family courtyard where Jacques Koami Koutoglo used to play football with his cousins in a working-class neighborhood in Togo ‘s capital now sits silent. The ball he once kicked around lies deflated beside a bundle of...

ECOWAS kicks off Lomé phase of Abidjan-Lagos corridor trader empowerment
As part of implementing the third edition of the information and awareness campaign for small cross-border traders along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, the Department of Human Development and Social Affairs, in collaboration with the Department of...
WAYA raises concerns over violent crackdowns on youth demonstrations in Togo
By Eric K. Amoh/Albert Futukpor Tamale, July 7, GNA – The West African Youth Alliance (WAYA) has raised concerns over the ongoing developments in Togo where youth-led protests against perceived Constitutional manipulation and democratic...

Togo Records Sharpest Drop in Regional Market Debt in H1 2025
(Togo First) - Togo recorded the sharpest decline in public debt among West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) member states during the first half of 2025. Data from UMOA-Titres, the regional agency in charge of facilitating the issuance...

Togo and Four Neighbors Sign Regional Pact on Security and Refugee Protection
(Togo First) - On Friday, July 4, in Lomé, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana officially adopted and signed a joint declaration on national security and refugee protection. The signing took place on the second day of the...
African Advocacy Group Calls for Dialogue in Togo Crisis
The New African Charter International (NACI) has issued an urgent appeal for peaceful resolution to escalating political tensions in Togo. Nationwide protests erupted on June 26, 2025, demanding President Faure Gnassingbé’s resignation amid...

Syria, Ukraine and Gaza among countries to receive heritage funds from Aliph
ALIPH, the Geneva-based cultural heritage protection agency, has announced more than $16m in its latest funding round, with support going to Syria, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, as well as a dedicated focus on the effects of climate change on cultural...

Consumer groups in Togo decry internet restrictions after protests
Consumer advocacy groups in Togo have reported internet and social media access restrictions in the country since deadly protests last month, one of their officials told AFP on Friday. The restrictions follow two rare waves of protests against the...
Activist Group Calls For Global Boycott Of Pan-African Congress In Togo Over Repression, Human Rights Abuses
The Positive Action Citizens Coalition (PACC) has called for an international boycott of the 9th Pan-African Congress (PAC) scheduled to hold in Lomé, Togo, in December 2025. The coalition accused the Togolese government of systematically...

Streaming won't make you global, that's a voodoo analysis - Socrate Safo
Entertainment personality, Socrate Safo, has challenged the widely held belief that music streaming platforms give artistes international exposure. Speaking in an interview with Graphic Showbiz, Socrate described the idea as a “voodoo analysis”...

Lekki Port Handles 222,000 TEUs In Six Months
The Lekki Deep Seaport, Nigeria’s first deep-water port, has processed 222,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) between January and June 2025, underscoring its growing role as a major logistics hub in West Africa. Deputy Chief Operations...

The original Birkin bag sells at auction for a jaw-dropping $8M
It cost a whole bag of money. The original Hermès Birkin handbag made for actress, singer and fashion icon Jane Birkin in 1984 has sold at auction for a staggering €7 million ($8.18 million). With fees, the anonymous bidder from Japan paid a total...

ADC calls on Mahama to lead peace restoration in Togo
The Africa Development Council (ADC) has urged Ghana’s President, John Mahama, to urgently lead diplomatic mediation aimed at restoring peace in Togo, warning that delay could result in further bloodshed. In a statement released today, the ADC...