IMANI Head Urges Ghana Intervention in Togo Unrest

Franklin Cudjoe, President of policy think tank IMANI Africa, has called on Ghanaian President John Mahama to urgently mediate Togo’s escalating political crisis following violent crackdowns on protesters.

Cudjoe warned that Ghana lacks the economic capacity to absorb potential refugees if instability intensifies.

His appeal responds to Togolese military forces targeting youth and civil society groups protesting President Faure Gnassingbé’s recent swearing-in as head of the Council of Ministers—a move analysts view as enabling lifetime rule. “We don’t have economic space for refugees,” Cudjoe stated, directly urging Mahama to press Gnassingbé and regional influencer Alassane Ouattara to “drop awkward extended bids and keep peace.”

The violence stems from constitutional reforms permitting Gnassingbé, in power since 2005, to consolidate authority. Regional observers fear prolonged unrest could destabilize West Africa’s ECOWAS corridor. Ghana shares a 1,000-km border with Togo, where cross-border trade has already declined due to recent tensions.

Cudjoe’s intervention underscores broader concerns about spillover effects on Ghana’s economy and regional stability. No official response has been issued by Ghana’s presidency.