By Ebi Kesiena
Togo’s parliament has extended for 12 months the state of security emergency in the Savanes region, in the far north of the country, to help prevent spreads of jihadist groups across the border with Burkina Faso.
Decreed in June 2022 by President Faure GnassingbÃ, the state of emergency ended a few weeks ago, after a first extension of six months in September.
On Thursday, Togo’s parliament voted to extend the measure for another year.
A Togolese official told AFP on condition of anonymity that it had become necessary to protect the countries defense and security forces.
A state of security emergency allows security forces and local authorities more flexibility to take urgent measures to combat threats from militant groups.
Minister of Security General Damehame Yark said that “the situation remains worrying” in the far north of the country, “in view of the persistence of new attempts, most of them valiantly repelled by our defense and security forces”.
Togo is a small country in West Africa sandwiched between Benin in the east, Ghana in the west and Burkina Faso in the north.
Since November 2021, it has been subject to attacks in the far north, near the border with Burkina Faso, where jihadist groups control large parts of that country.
Since August 2022, neither the government nor the army has communicated on the security situation in the far north.
The Togolese opposition and civil society organizations have repeatedly denounced the “silence” of the authorities.
Ghana, Togo, Benin and Ivory Coast are increasingly cooperating and sharing intelligence in a bid to better combat the threat from across their northern borders.
