Dialogue of the deaf in Togo in the run-up to the 2015 elections

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the political deadlock in Togo ahead of the 2015 presidential elections. It details the failure of political dialogues to implement the 2006 Global Political Agreement, the fragmentation of the opposition, and the perceived lack of neutrality in electoral institutions. The document also examines socio-economic tensions, including youth unemployment and land disputes, and the role of the international community in attempting to mediate the crisis.

• Togo is experiencing a political impasse regarding the implementation of the 2006 Global Political Agreement. A bill proposing constitutional and institutional reforms—including limiting the president to two five-year terms and creating a Senate—was rejected by the National Assembly on 30 June 2014.
• The ruling party, Union for the Republic (UNIR), which replaced the Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) in 2012, maintains a dominant position. This is attributed to a strategy of expanding its electoral base beyond its traditional stronghold in the Kara region and the use of the state apparatus to mobilise votes.
• The political opposition is fragmented and unable to unite behind a single candidate for the 2015 election. Major parties including the National Alliance for Change (ANC), the Action Committee for Renewal (CAR), and the Union of Forces for Change (UFC) are divided by rivalries and conflicting alliances, with the UFC having signed a power-sharing agreement with the ruling party.
• There is significant distrust toward the three main bodies overseeing the electoral process: the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Constitutional Court, and the High Authority for Audiovisuals and Communications (HAAC). The opposition claims these institutions are politicised and lack neutrality.
• Despite GDP growth between 2010 and 2013, Togo faces severe socio-economic challenges. These include a high rate of youth unemployment (20.5% underemployed and 8.1% unemployed), widespread poverty with 52.7% of the population living below US$2 a day, and unresolved land disputes.
• International actors, including the G5 (EU, France, Germany, US, and UNDP) and ECOWAS, have attempted to facilitate dialogue and monitor elections, but their effectiveness is limited by a lack of political will from the Togolese government to implement structural reforms.

APA

Gnanguênon, A., Toupane, P. M., & Gnamke, E.-W. (2014). Dialogue of the deaf in Togo in the run-up to the 2015 elections. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ECOWAS10-ENGV2.pdf

Chicago

Gnanguênon, Amandine, Paulin Maurice Toupane, and Esso-Wèdeou Gnamke. Dialogue of the deaf in Togo in the run-up to the 2015 elections. Institute for Security Studies, 2014. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ECOWAS10-ENGV2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gnanguênon |first1=Amandine |last2=Toupane |first2=Paulin Maurice |last3=Gnamke |first3=Esso-Wèdeou |title=Dialogue of the deaf in Togo in the run-up to the 2015 elections |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=October 2014 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ECOWAS10-ENGV2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gnangunon2014dialogue, author = {Gnanguênon, Amandine and Toupane, Paulin Maurice and Gnamke, Esso-Wèdeou}, title = {{Dialogue of the deaf in Togo in the run-up to the 2015 elections}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2014}, month = oct, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ECOWAS10-ENGV2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }