Two major opposition parties and civil society groups in Togo have urged authorities to postpone municipal elections scheduled for July 17.
Their appeal follows a wave of rare anti-government protests that turned deadly, leaving at least seven people dead, dozens injured and more than 60 detained.
The unrest was triggered by surging electricity prices, arrests of government critics, and a controversial constitutional reform that extends President Faure Gnassingbé’s grip on power.
Gnassingbé and his late father have ruled the West African nation for nearly six decades, drawing criticism for entrenching a dynastic regime.
The National Alliance for Change (ANC), the Democratic Forces for the Republic (FDR), and allied civil society groups condemned what they described as “brutal repression.”
They called for an indefinite postponement of the elections, accusing security forces and pro-government militias of unleashing violence on demonstrators.
Campaigning for the municipal vote began Tuesday, despite mounting calls for calm and accountability amid the political crisis.
Amnesty International on Thursday demanded an independent probe into reports of killings, torture, and kidnappings by Togo’s security forces.
Echoing that call, the opposition and civil society groups denounced the “barbarity” of the state’s response and demanded justice for the victims.
Togo’s government has yet to respond formally to the demands or the accusations leveled by rights advocates and opposition leaders.
