Northern Togo is facing a mounting threat from jihadist militants infiltrating from neighboring Burkina Faso, with the Togolese government maintaining strict silence as the situation deteriorates.
Foreign Minister Robert Dussey recently acknowledged that over 62 people have been killed by militants since January — more than double last year’s toll — in one of the few official statements on the crisis. The jihadists, primarily from JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, and also the Islamic State, have steadily advanced south from Burkina Faso, exploiting porous borders and weak state presence. The recent fall of Diapaga, a key Burkinabe town near Togo’s border, is seen as a pivotal moment, giving insurgents a new base for operations and pushing them closer to Togolese towns like Tambi, Koundjoaré, and Dapaong. “This is a tipping point,” a regional defense analyst was reported as saying recently. “It’s no longer about containing jihadists in the Sahel. They are now knocking on the doors of the Gulf of Guinea.”
Despite deploying 8,000 troops and increasing defense spending, Togo’s strategy has leaned heavily on military repression, with little investment in public services in the deeply impoverished north. Critics like analyst Madi Djabakate warn of a “structural absence of the state” and also of the country’s “essentially military and repressive” approach, both of which are fueling instability. To preserve morale, the government has imposed a media blackout, banning reports on the violence. However, analysts urge a shift: regional cooperation, civil engagement, and adaptive defense policies must replace silence, or Togo may become the next frontline in West Africa’s expanding insurgency.
