WEST AFRICA: Joint Action Against Piracy

There have already been more than thirty pirate attacks on ships along the West African coast so far this year. Regional governments will meet in Cotonou, Benin in October to discuss coordinating efforts to stem piracy.

POLITICS-TOGO: First Female Presidential Candidate

Brigitte Kafui Adjamagbo-Johnson, head of the opposition Democratic Convention of African Peoples party, is Togo's first female presidential candidate. But she has withdrawn from the electoral process.

DEVELOPMENT-TOGO: High Cost of Living Exacerbated By Floods

Recent flooding in Togo caused the collapse of over 10 bridges connecting the capital of Lomé to the north of the country. The consequences have been increased transportation costs and a steady climb in the price of consumer products.

HEALTH-TOGO: Increased Drug Use Shadows Growing Trafficking

As the Togolese capital becomes a regional hub for drug trafficking, many drug addicts in Lomé are seeking assistance to kick the habit.

TOGO: Trees Disappearing, Even as Some Believe the Supply “Will Never End”

In the southern Togolese village of Yoto Kopé, Akoua Amouzouvi and several other women emerge from the bush with bowls of charcoal balanced on their heads - hands and faces smeared with black dust.

RIGHTS-TOGO: Celebrations as Anti-Trafficking Law Is Put Into Effect

Civil society organisations in Togo have welcomed the sentences handed down to five child traffickers last week. The trials marked the first application of a law adopted in August 2005 against the trafficking of children.

CHALLENGES 2006-2007: Togo and Benin End the Year in Darkness

For the neighbouring West African nations of Togo and Benin, most of the past year has been plagued by power cuts that have been an inconvenience at best - and a source of financial hardship at worst.

RIGHTS-TOGO: A Valuable Weapon in the Fight Against Trafficking

For children's rights activists like Deleli Kpeglo, efforts to combat child trafficking in Togo have often produced dispiriting results.

RIGHTS-TOGO: Plus Ca Change…

The human rights group Amnesty International has issued a report alleging serious human rights violations in Togo during the West African country's recent elections.

POLITICS-TOGO: A Meeting of Rivals

Newly-elected Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe and various opposition leaders were in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, Thursday for talks on resolving tensions in their West African country.

POLITICS-TOGO: A Homecoming Marked by Political Uncertainty

A number of refugees who fled Togo because of violence sparked by the country's Apr. 24 presidential election have reportedly started going home.

POLITICS-TOGO: Opposition Defies Official Poll Results

Opposition candidate Emmanuel Akitani-Bob declared himself the winner of Togo's presidential election despite the National Independent Electoral Commission's announcement that Faure Gnassingbe, son of deceased head of state Gnassingbe Eyadema, was the provisional winner.
      Opposition supporters protested the Commission's results with roadblocks and burned tires in Lome. ''We're going to put up even more barricades and make this country ungovernable,'' a protester told IPS.

POLITICS-TOGO: Opposition Defies Official Poll Results

Emmanuel Akitani-Bob, an opposition candidate in the presidential election held Sunday in Togo, declared himself winner of the poll Wednesday. This came a day after the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) announced that Faure Gnassingbe, son of deceased head of state Gnassingbe Eyadema, was the provisional winner.

POLITICS-TOGO: No Peace at Home, No Peace Abroad

Togo's government found itself under siege both locally and regionally Saturday, as a protest in the capital, Lome, coincided with news that the Economic Community of West African States would impose sanctions on the administration.

POLITICS-TOGO: No Peace at Home, No Peace Abroad

Togo's government found itself under siege both locally and regionally Saturday, as a protest in the capital, Lome, coincided with news that the Economic Community of West African States would impose sanctions on the administration.

ENERGY-WEST AFRICA: Togo and Benin Make Electricity Provision a Joint Endeavour

News that an agreement has been signed to supply power to electricity-starved parts of northern Togo and Benin has been welcomed by residents of these areas.

ECONOMY-TOGO: The High Cost of Cheap Chic

Prized by women in West and Central Africa, "Real Dutch Wax" cloth – with its distinctive colours and patterns – has for three decades been a staple in the wardrobes of those wealthy enough to afford it. The name refers to the process of using wax to dye material.

RIGHTS-TOGO: Minister Believes Quantity Equals Quality

Dozens of newspapers, scores of radio stations and five television channels...At first glance, Togo seems like a media junkie’s dream destination. But does being spoilt for choice translate into press freedom?

RIGHTS-TOGO: Children Suffer Multiple Forms of Abuse

A study just completed in Togo has revealed high levels of child abuse in the West African state.

RELIGION-TOGO: Charismatic Churches Prey on Vulnerable Women

Ayele Ajavon is a happy woman, so she believes. After she was divorced by her husband, she sought solace in the church.