SUMMARY
The Government of Togo was active as a one-sided actor in 1991, 1993, and 2005. In all instances, one-sided violence occurred in the context of unstable political situations during which the authoritarian regime was faced with pressure from the population. The line of action remained constant: when faced with demonstrations against the regime, the military (with the occasional support of the police) acts with deliberate brutality, aiming to dissolve the demonstrations and to give a clear signal to any potential future demonstrator.
In 1991, one-sided violence took place in the context of widespread anti-government demonstrations. The immediate trigger of the demonstrations was a trial of students in October 1990 who were convicted for distributing anti-government tracts. In the following months, demonstrations continuously gained strength, despite government pressure. This culminated in the killing of 28 demonstrators on 11 April 1991 in the Bé Lagoon in Lome. Shortly later, President Eyadéma was forced into allowing political parties and started negotiating a transitional government including representatives of the opposition. This was followed by small steps towards democratization and increased participation of the opposition in the government. Simultaneously, this also led to a certain political instability and continued power struggles within the government which now included a wider range of political positions. Those struggles culminated in October 1992, when parts of the army held the interim parliament hostage for 24 hours, ending the interim unity government. As a reaction, the opposition and labor unions declared a general strike on 16 November. This strike went on for several months and significantly affected Togo's economy. In January 1993, President Eyadéma officially ended the transition period and appointed Koffigoh – a man of his trust – as Prime Minister. This was followed by intensified demonstrations, provoking a harsh and violent reaction by the military. The single most violent incident occurred on 25 January, when security forces shot dead 19 peaceful demonstrators in Lome. Overall, an estimated 250 000 Togolese fled the country from violence during early 1993.The situation only calmed down due to international pressure, forcing the regime and the opposition to agree on elections in August 1993. They were overshadowed by poor preparations, concerns of fraud and irregularities as well as a general boycott from the opposition. President Eyadéma won the elections with over 96 % of the votes, with a participation rate of 36%.
One-sided violence in 2005 also occurred in the context of an insecure political situation. After decades of ruling, President Eyadéma died on 5 February 2005. Immediately after, his son Faure Gnassingbé was appointed President by the military. This unconstitutional move provoked a harsh reaction, notably also from the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union. As a reaction, Gnassingbé agreed to hand over the interim presidency to the Speaker of the National Assembly who was tasked with organizing elections in April 2005. Faure Gnassingbé was declared winner of the elections, which were overshadowed by violence, fraud and irregularities. The military and security forces proceeded with heavy violence against demonstrators and members of opposition parties, killing over 400 in the months of April and May 2005 alone, and forcing over 10 000 to flee the country.
The Government of Togo first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 1991, when the one-sided violence resulted in more than 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached in April of that year when 26 bodies, believed to have been killed by the Togolese army, were found in a lagoon in Lome city.
