By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Marguerite Gnakadé, the sister-in-law of long-serving Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbé, has been arrested, security sources said, a development that comes after she condemned prolonged family rule in the country.
Gnakadé, a former defence minister had recently called for Gnassingbé’s resignation, backing a military rule that will bring to an end decades of dynastic rule.
“She was arrested for serious acts, including her recent public appearance inciting the military to rebellion,” a police source stated.
Local media reported she was arrested by security forces at her home in the capital Lomé on Wednesday.
In recent months Gnakadé has written articles criticising Gnassingbé, including calling for him to resign and make way for a “peaceful, inclusive, and national transition”. She has also supported protests against his leadership.
Gnakadé, a widow of Ernest Gnassingbé, the late elder brother of Faure Gnassingbé, served as defence minister from 2020 to 2022.
She was one of the first women to hold such a strategic government position, and her vocal criticism of the government comes as a significant shift. News of her arrest went viral on social media.
She is currently being questioned by the authorities. Some reports suggest the charges against her are related to alleged connections with exiled opposition figures and attempts to incite disobedience within the armed forces.
Togo has recently been gripped by deadly protests calling for Gnassingbé to resign and free political prisoners.
The protests came amid popular anger and growing weariness with a family-run regime that has been in power for six decades. Gnassingbé, who has led the country since 2005, succeeded his father Gnassingbé Éyadéma, who had ruled for 38 years from 1967.
A new constitutional structure that allowed Gnassingbé to prolong his hold on power while shifting to a new role as President of the Council of Ministers further fuelled the protests.
In May, Gnassingbé was sworn in to the new position, which is the highest office in the government’s executive branch and has no official term limits.
