Togo establishes national committee to address territorial boundary disputes

Public Management

Friday, 29 May 2026 14:49

Togo establishes national committee to address territorial boundary disputes

(Togo First) - Togo has inaugurated a national committee tasked with resolving disputes over administrative boundaries between municipalities, cantons and prefectures.

The committee met for the first time on Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Lomé for a two-day session organised by the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Local Governance and Customary Affairs. The meeting is expected to produce an operational roadmap that will guide the body's work.

Established in January, the committee is mandated to review boundary disputes and propose technically sound, objective and long-term solutions for government consideration.

"Municipalities are made up of cantons, but their boundaries are not always clearly marked on the ground. This gives rise to conflicts that must be anticipated and resolved," Robert Baoubadi Bakaï, chief of staff at the supervising ministry and chairman of the committee, said at the opening of the session.

For the government, the stakes are significant. The committee is expected to help reduce disputes linked to land tenure issues, boundary encroachments and the collection of local taxes, tensions that have intensified since the country completed the rollout of nationwide municipal governance.

Authorities also intend to incorporate social cohesion and security considerations into the management of local disputes, recognising that territorial rivalries can sometimes fuel broader community tensions.

"We need to be in a position to resolve these disputes on the basis of sound technical assessments. That is the very purpose behind the establishment of this commission," Minister of Territorial Administration Hodabalo Awaté said.

Officials hope that the adoption of the roadmap will enable the committee to become fully operational quickly and contribute to stronger and more effective territorial governance across the country.

Esaïe Edoh

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