On the night of April 14, a fire broke out in a building filled with chemicals in Lomé’s Aguiarkomé district. Fortunately, no one died in the incident, though it caused heavy material damage and brought the building to the ground.

On April 16, the Ministry of Security reported that firefighters, police, gendarmes, and local officials worked fast to contain the flames and secure the area.

The Ministry of Security and Civil Protection quickly launched the ORSEC plan, a national emergency protocol, because the fire involved acid chemicals.

Emergency teams from the National Civil Protection Agency, ANASAP, and defense forces joined the effort to control the situation.

After the incident, officials have been facing renewed pressure to regulate industrial storage in city neighborhoods.

On April 16, 2025, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé started his mediation in the crisis between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. The African Union (AU) appointed Gnassingbé just a few days earlier.

Gnassingbé first went to Angola, where he met President João Lourenço, who passed him the baton as mediator in the ongoing crisis. Together, they reviewed the negotiations that Lourenço led until his recent resignation.

The two presidents met in Luanda. They assessed the security and humanitarian situation in eastern Congo, where violence continues. They discussed past efforts to restart talks between Kinshasa and Kigali. They also talked about the new role that Lomé will play in this mediation.

Securing a ceasefire is the first goal set for Gnassingbé by the AU, as a ceasefire is necessary to restart lasting dialogue. Over the recent weeks, the conflict has escalated in eastern DRC, and all peace efforts have failed so far.

Gnassingbé was picked due to his experience mediating crises in Africa, especially in West Africa.

The AU appointed Gnassingbé on April 12 to revive peace talks between the two countries. These talks happen against a backdrop of conflict involving the March 23 Movement (M23), an armed group that Congo accuses of working with Rwanda.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho

IDS Technologie launched a Point of Presence (PoP) in Atakpamé, Togo, on April 16, 2025. This PoP serves as a physical access point to the Internet. It provides connectivity speeds from 50 Mbps to 1 Gbps to local businesses, administrations, and startups. IDS Technologie built the facility in partnership with CSquared Woezon, a public-private partnership fiber operator.

IDS Technologie invested CFA30 million in the infrastructure, excluding operating costs. CSquared made a larger investment by deploying a fiber optic network from Lomé to Atakpamé, a project worth billions of CFA.

Daya Minlekibe, Managing Director of IDS, said, "This broadband access will enable economic operators to decentralize and get closer to their customers, while encouraging investors to set up in the region."

Besides infrastructure, IDS Technologie supports businesses by providing IT equipment, software solutions, technical training, and Internet access through its ALVANET network. The Atakpamé PoP fits into a broader strategy. 

IDS operates similar points in Kara and Sokodé, and it is finalizing another in Dapaong.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is behind a new environmental project that could be born in Togo. On April 15, stakeholders met to discuss the project, which focuses on five prefectures in the Eastern Plateaux region: Anié, Ogou, Haho, Middle Mono, and East-Mono. The Global Environment Facility backs the project.

The recent meeting aimed to produce sustainable and inclusive solutions for local climate challenges. Through a “landscape” approach, the project should boost community skills, improve data, and use past experience to protect plant cover.

Folly-Bazi Katari, Minister for the Environment, attended the April 15 meeting. On the occasion, he lauded the FAO’s support and encouraged effective cooperation between involved partners, including his ministry.

Maganawé Dadja, governor of the Plateaux region, said the project will strengthen the region’s natural resources and help the government reach its environmental goals.

Togo has approved a new action plan for its national decentralization policy, covering 2025 to 2034. Officials validated the plan on April 15 in Kara. With the new strategy, Lomé seeks to improve local governance and make local authorities key drivers of economic growth.

The Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Customary Chieftaincy leads the project, with support from GIZ through the PRODEG 4 program. 

The plan focuses on three main strategies and will mobilize over CFA51 billion over five years. It specifically aims to create local, inclusive, and efficient governance by funding projects with strong community impact.

Commenting on the new plan, Pali Essossinam, Director of Decentralization, said:  “This updated document is now ready to receive political approval from the highest authorities. It aims to make decentralization an inclusive and structured process.”

According to Gomado Kwame, Minister in charge of Regional Planning, the plan supports the government’s vision for balanced development across all regions.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho

Last Friday, Togo raised CFA22 billion on the regional money market, the WAEMU Securities market. Initially, Lomé was seeking CFA20 billion through the operation, an issuance of Fungible Treasury bills (BAT).

According to the stock market, 22 subscribed to the call, offering a total of CFA71.4 billion. This represented a coverage rate of 357.33%.

In detail, Togo secured CFA4.75 billion through 182-day Treasury bills and CFA17.25 billion through 364-day Treasury bills, both issued at multiple interest rates.

With this operation, Togo achieved 29% of its second-quarter goal of CFA75 billion. Since January, the country has mobilized CFA143.5 billion, reaching nearly 43% of its annual target of CFA332 billion.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Togo has officially joined the Inter-African Coffee Organization (IACO) by submitting its Instrument of Acceptance for the 2020 Agreement in early April. This move legally commits Togo to the agreement to strengthen cooperation in Africa's coffee sector. Togo had initially agreed to the terms in May 2023.

The Instrument of Acceptance is a key step that confirms Togo's commitment to abide by the agreement's rules. These rules are designed to promote sustainable governance of African coffee. 

At the ceremony in Ivory Coast, IACO Secretary General Solomon Rutega praised Togo's decision, calling it a strong commitment to African control over its agricultural resources. Rutega noted that Togo's involvement in coffee sector discussions shows its political will to boost agricultural production.

Enselme Gouthon, Secretary General of the Coordination Committee for the Coffee and Cocoa Sectors (CCFCC), sees Togo's involvement in the coffee sector as strategic. The government aims to produce 50,000 tonnes of coffee annually by 2030, nearly doubling current levels.
Between 2013 and 2023, Togo’s coffee output rose from 10,950 tonnes to 27,336 tonnes.

This article was initially published in French by Esaie Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

The African Union (AU) officially appointed Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé as mediator in the conflict ravaging eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He replaces Angolan President João Lourenço, who withdrew from the mission last month.
The AU confirmed the transition in a press release issued over the weekend.

Togo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Dussey, relayed the news on April 13, 2025, on X, formerly Twitter.

The AU aims to revive stalled diplomatic efforts in the Great Lakes region, still facing armed clashes, persistent tensions, and a dire humanitarian crisis.

Gnassingbé’s appointment comes amid rising mistrust between Kinshasa and Kigali. The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel movement, a claim Rwanda denies. Military advances by M23 have worsened the situation, with the group seizing strategic areas near Goma and Bukavu through swift operations that overwhelmed Congolese forces.

Diplomatic attempts to resolve the crisis have so far failed. In late March, Congolese government representatives and M23 leaders met in Doha under Qatar’s mediation to initiate dialogue. This meeting followed a bilateral discussion in Doha between DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

The AU appointed Gnassingbé, who has a proven track record in mediation. In recent years, the Togolese leader has played key roles in resolving political crises in West Africa, including negotiations in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso during disputes with ECOWAS.

However, his task will be daunting. The eastern DRC conflict is driven by complex factors such as ethnic rivalries, economic interests tied to mining resources, foreign interference, and widespread mistrust of Congolese institutions.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Jason Ange Quenum

The first phase of Togo’s 5th National Agricultural Census (RNA-5) counted 677,692 farming households nationwide, and 85% of them are in rural areas. Among these households, 78% have no land security, exposing them to persistent structural fragility. 

Additionally, 57% of households cultivate areas of two hectares or less, and only 6.24% use tractors.

These preliminary results, presented last week to local authorities in prefectures such as Lakes and Agoé-Nyivé, were covered by the Togolese Press Agency (ATOP). The Ministry of Agriculture conducted the census to establish a reliable statistical system for better agricultural policy planning.

The government views this census as a strategic tool aligned with Roadmap 2025 and critical issues like food security, gender equality, and climate resilience.

Low Mechanization and Irrigation

The data highlights that agriculture in Togo relies heavily on animal traction (33%), while irrigation remains minimal at just 4%, mostly manual. Experts say these figures confirm the urgent need for modernization, through mechanization and land security reforms.

Livestock data shows poultry dominates at 50%, followed by goats at 21%, and cattle at just 7%.

The second phase of RNA-5 began on April 7 and will focus on food production, livestock, fishing, and arboriculture. This phase aims to provide a complete overview 

to guide agricultural investments and strengthen rural value chains.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum