Latest news with #antiGovernment
The Guardian
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘One too many': rapper's arrest sparks protests against Togo's ruling dynasty
On the night last month that he and 34 other young people were arrested in the Togolese capital, Lomé, for coordinating an anti-government demonstration, Bertin Bandiangou said gendarmes beat him with ropes and slapped him. The next morning he was tortured while a commanding officer filmed proceedings. He was lucky to get out alive: at least 10 people have been killed by security officials since protests began in June calling for the resignation of the small west African country's president, Faure Gnassingbé. 'From this bitter experience, it is clear that the Togolese regime is prepared to commit the worst atrocities to retain power,' said Bandiangou, a 24-year-old student union president at the University of Lomé. With the exception of a three-month period in 2005, Togo has been ruled by the Gnassingbés since 1967, when Faure Gnassingbé's father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, took power in a bloodless coup. In February, the government hosted a flamboyant $34m memorial service for Eyadéma, who died in 2005. Observers said the ceremony, attended by five former African presidents, served as a lavish statement of the dynasty's enduring power. Then in May, Gnassingbé's power was further consolidated when he was sworn in as 'president of the council of ministers', a new post that is not subject to term limits. The swearing-in was the culmination of a process that began in March last year when parliament amended the constitution, without a referendum, to do away with presidential elections – a move described by the Touche Pas à Ma Constitution coalition as 'a coup against the Togolese people'. Though the memorial service and constitutional changes struck a nerve with young people in Togo who want political change, the spark for the recent protests was the arrest of Tchala Essowè Narcisse, a popular rapper known as Aamron, on 26 May. Aamron has built a following on TikTok, and his songs denounce corruption, economic stagnation and state neglect. His arrest followed a satirical call for a mobilisation to mark Gnassingbé's birthday. According to Célestin Kokou Agbogan, his lawyer and the president of Togo's Human Rights League, Aamron was arrested without a warrant and held incommunicado for 10 days. A video clip then surfaced in which, appearing disoriented, he claimed the state had labelled him mentally unstable and had detained him in a psychiatric facility in Zébé, just outside Lomé. Agbogan said no official charges had been filed. The opposition alliance Dynamics for Majority of the People condemned the arrest as 'unlawful, unjustified, and driven by political motives' and has called for Aamron's immediate and unconditional release. In the days after his disappearance, fans flooded social media with clips of his defiant lyrics. Then they took to the streets of Lomé, barricading roads, burning tyres and chanting 'Libérez Aamron!' and 'Togo Libre!' 'Since Faure Gnassingbé became president, any opinion that does not praise him is seen as a crime,' Bandiangou said. 'He systematically imprisons all dissenting voices. Aamron's arrest was … one too many.' Bandiangou said his aim was to mobilise people in an attempt to end the practice of arbitrary imprisonment and allow political prisoners to regain their freedom. Protesters have paid a steep price for their dissent: more than 100 have been arrested since June, and some are still missing. Amnesty International said last week it had interviewed victims and witnesses who described a series of abuses by security forces against demonstrators, including acts of torture. On 1 July, the Economic Community of West African States urged restraint and called for dialogue. Otherwise, international reaction has been muted, drowned out by geopolitical crises elsewhere. Nevertheless, diaspora communities and human rights groups are attempting to ramp up pressure on the regime, demanding sanctions and diplomatic scrutiny. Experts say beneath the anger at the constitutional changes lies a deeper well of frustration over corruption and nepotism that has been exacerbated by a scarce jobs market and a rise in the cost of living. Protests have erupted periodically for decades – usually over delayed elections, term extensions and heavy-handed crackdowns – but there are signs that discontent is widening. Civil society groups and opposition parties held demonstrations on three consecutive days in late June over a planned pan-Africanist conference – later cancelled – that they claimed would whitewash the latest power grab, while protests have also broken out in recent weeks over electricity price rises. 'Young people are exasperated by shortsighted and aimless governance, and by being held hostage by a regime incapable of providing the population with the basic necessities of life,' said Bandiangou. 'Our message is clear: we no longer want a regime that imprisons our dreams and has terrorised an entire people for nearly six decades.'
LBCI
08-07-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
UN says 'deeply troubled' by Kenya protest killings
The United Nations, on Tuesday, expressed serious concern over the deaths of at least 10 people in Kenya where police and protesters clashed during anti-government demonstrations the previous day. "We are deeply troubled by the killings yesterday of at least 10 people, as well as looting and destruction of property in Kenya," U.N. rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva, lamenting that security forces had used "lethal ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons." AFP
Russia Today
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Protests claim more lives in Kenya (VIDEO)
At least 11 people have been killed and dozens of others, including law enforcement officers, injured in a new wave of nationwide anti-government protests in Kenya, according to police officials in the East African country. The latest casualties add to a growing toll from deadly unrest that has gripped Kenya in recent weeks. The protests on Monday were held to mark the 35th anniversary of Saba Saba – Swahili for 'Seven Seven' – a historic July 7, 1990 uprising against single-party rule that is now remembered annually as a symbol of resistance to repression and economic injustice. In a statement late on Monday, the Kenyan National Police Service (NPS) said 63 people, including 52 police officers and 11 civilians, were wounded during the demonstrations, which it claimed were infiltrated by 'criminals.' At least 19 vehicles – 12 belonging to the police, three to government agencies, and four to civilians – were damaged, according to the statement. A total of 567 people were arrested, the NPS said, praising its personnel for 'demonstrating exceptional restraint and professionalism in the face of sustained violence and provocation by criminals.' BREAKING NEWS: Massive protests are happening in Kenya 🇰🇪 Local daily The Nation reported that one protester was shot dead in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua county, while another survived after sustaining gunshot wounds. Earlier, the state-run Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported at least ten people killed, 29 injured, two cases of abduction, and 37 arrests across 17 provinces. The organization accused police of violating a court order requiring officers at protests to be in uniform, saying it observed 'hooded officers, not in uniform' operating alongside 'criminal gangs wielding crude weapons' in counties including the capital, Nairobi. 'The KNCHR calls on the government to immediately cease the harassment of Civil Society Organizations, Human Rights Defenders and the criminalization of legitimate human rights work,' it said in a statement. Late last month, 19 people were killed nationwide during demonstrations marking the first anniversary of last year's youth-led protests against a controversial finance bill – later withdrawn by the government – and the custodial death of Albert Ojwang, a blogger and teacher, according to the KNCHR. Six people, including three policemen, were charged with murder in connection to Ojwang's death, although they all pleaded not guilty.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
11 dead and hundreds arrested in Kenya's anti-government protests, police says
At least 11 people have died and more than 500 were arrested in anti-government protests across Kenya on Monday, according to the country's National Police Service. Kenyan police used tear gas and water cannon on protesters marking the 35th anniversary of a pro-democracy rally that has stirred anti-government resentment among Kenyan youths, who were already enraged over allegations of corruption, police brutality and abductions of government critics. Some 11 civilians were injured, police said in a Monday night statement, though the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHCR) reported that 29 people were injured. A total of 567 people were arrested, the police added. The East African country has been hit by a wave of bloody protests that began last year over an unpopular finance bill that raised taxes amid a cost-of-living crisis. Kenya's government withdrew the tax bill in June last year in the wake of the demonstrations, but outrage has intensified over the recent death of a teacher in police custody and the shooting of an unarmed street vendor by police. At least 16 people were killed and hundreds injured during anti-government protests last month. Dozens more died during the anti-tax demonstrations in 2024. On Monday, several parts of Kenya saw gatherings as people marked the anniversary of the July 7, 1990, pro-democracy march known as Saba Saba. In the capital Nairobi, Kenyan security forces repelled protesters with tear gas and water cannon hours after blocking major roads leading into the city. Roads leading to the Kenyan Parliament building, as well as the president's office and residence, were also barricaded ahead of the demonstrations. There were reports on Monday afternoon of police opening fire on protesters. CNN has not confirmed the reports, but has reached out to Kenya's National Police Service for comment. In its Monday night statement outlining fatalities, injuries and arrests, Kenya's police service said that 'each reported incident will be subject to further investigation, in accordance with the law.' CNN affiliate Citizen TV reported that at least five people were shot dead in protests across the country, including two people who were shot dead in the Kangemi neighborhood of Nairobi. Another man was shot in the area and was 'seen lying on the road' unconscious, it added. Video circulating on social media and geolocated by CNN shows a civilian in Kenya's Kiambu County stepping out of a car surrounded by armed officers, and then being whipped repeatedly by one of them. The civilian covers their head to protect themself, but does not appear to be threatening the officer in any way. In other parts of the country, some protesters have remained defiant despite the chaotic scenes. 'We are not ready to go back (home) because who will fight for our rights then? We will be here till evening,' protester Francis Waswa told Reuters. The clampdown comes after individuals described by the Kenyan Human Rights Commission as 'hired goons' who were 'sent by the state to silence dissent' stormed the NGO's office. In a statement on Sunday night, the human rights body said those who entered the building 'violently disrupted a press conference by Kenyan mothers calling for an end to arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings targeting protesters ahead of Saba Saba demonstrations.' Kenyan government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura told CNN to 'contact the police spokesman' for comment when asked about the allegation. Police spokesman Nyaga said: 'The National Police Service is looking into the incident and shall take appropriate steps after reviewing the unacceptable clip,' referring to CCTV footage shared by the NGO. Earlier on Sunday, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said security agencies were 'on high alert to deal decisively with criminals and other elements of ill intent who may seek to infiltrate peaceful processions to cause havoc, mayhem, or destruction of property.' Murkomen previously described last month's demonstrations as 'terrorism disguised as dissent,' in a statement that further reignited outrage. This story and headline have been updated with additional developments. CNN's Victoria Rubadiri, Annoa Abekah-Mensah and Billy Stockwell contributed to this report.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kenya human rights watchdog says 10 killed, 29 hurt in anti-government protests
NAIROBI (Reuters) -Ten people died in protests in Kenya on Monday, the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said, with 29 injured after scattered anti-government demonstrations broke out across the country.
