Stories about Togo
That Fake U.S. Embassy in Ghana Issued Real Visas for a Decade
For ten years, a U.S. embassy operated quietly in Accra, the capital of the West African country of Ghana. But the embassy wasn't an embassy at all.
When You’re Black and Foreign in Brazil: An African Medical Student Shares His Story
In 2016, while still halfway through his undergraduate degree in medicine at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Fleury Johnson decided to start blogging about his life in Brazil.
A Glimpse Into the First African Bloggers and Vloggers’ Festival in Dakar, Senegal
For two days, 36 of the best bloggers and vloggers in Africa, along with selected players on the African digital scene, presented their talents and know-how.
‘Let's Not Give In to Fear': An Interview With Hugues Lawson-Body, Photographer of Celebrities and Parisian Youth
"I try to photograph young people just as they are. They are just as important as the adult generation, yet they suffer from neglect and need to be inspired."
Are Term Limits and Mandatory Political Changeover Really in the Interest of African Nations?
In countries with few leading figures capable of securing the role of head of state, constitutionally mandated political changeover can be a real constraint on the political process.
After Citizen Uprising in Burkina Faso and Burundi, Are Niger and Togo Next?
20,000 Nigeriens took to the streets in Niamey, Niger on June, 6. There are multiple causes for the protests: endemic poverty, mediocre governance and restricted free speech are among the main grievances from Nigerien civil society. These protests come on the hill of similar uprisings in Burkina Faso, Burundi...
Region-wide Presidential Term Limits for West Africa? Not So Fast.
West African leaders have dropped the idea of instituting a two-presidential-term limit across the region, thanks to the opposition of Gambia and Togo, the only member states without term limits.
2015 Presents an Opportunity for Free and Fair Elections in Africa
Wekesa Sylvanus hopes that 2015 will be a year of free and fair elections in Africa: https://wekesasylvanus.wordpress.com/2015/02/18/will-2015-be-a-year-of-free-and-fair-elections-in-africa/ Since the advent of multi party democracy in Africa, electoral contests have become a do or die affair in majority of African countries. Elections in Africa are a high risk affair and in...
Another Celebrity Wants to Help Africa, And He's No ‘Band Aid’
When it comes to helping Africa, there is Bob Geldof's approach with "Band Aid," and then there is Akon's.
Togolese Bloggers Poke Fun at President for Over the Top BillBoard
Someone sure wanted people to know that he was thankful for Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé generosity. This week, a giant billboard was raised in Lomé, Togo that praised the president's action in favor of providing lunch for school children. The billboard seen below reads in french :” Thanks Daddy Faure for...
Can President Obama Change African Dictators’ Ways? Not Likely, Says Chadian Blogger
"The fundamental question remained: What steps can the American president take to change things around?"
Catching Up with the Togolese E-Waste 3D Printer Makers
In 2013, we were introduced to the E-Waste 3D Printer project by Woelab engineers in Togo. My Africa Is gives the genesis of the WoeLab project and what the makers hope to achieve going forward : The Woelab team has organized conferences with individuals in the medical field in Africa, to...
Six Women Held as Slaves in Southern Lebanon
Ivory Coast-based news site Koaci.com has uncovered the story of six women in southern Lebanon who were kept slavery-like conditions. Lebanese blogger Joey Ayoub draws attention to their plight.
10 New Documentaries at the Luxor African Film Festival
Tom Devriendt lists 10 documentaries to look out for at the Luxor African Film Festival: The third edition of the Egyptian Luxor African Film Festival again has a wide-ranging programme scheduled for next month. Selected films will be showing in different competitions: Long Narrative, Short Narratives, Short Documentaries and Long...
Togolese Skier Petitjean, from Facebook to the 2014 Winter Olympics
Mathilde-Amivi Petitjean is a cross-country skier who competes for Togo at the 2014 Winter Olympics Game. The president of the Togolese Ski federation explained that they reached out to Togolese abroad via Facebook to recruit some athletes.After finishing her first olympian race, Mathilde-Amivi Petitjean said[fr]: Merci tout le monde pour...
Made in Togo: A 3D Printer Built from Recycled E-Waste
Afaté GNIKOU is an IT engineer in Togo who wanted to tackle two important goals: create the first 3D printer from Togo, reduce the alarming number of E-waste dumped into his country. Here is a presentation of the 3D printer project, called W.AFATE : A. Gnikou is a member of...
Massive Railway Project between Niamey and Cotonou Underway
A 1,500 km-long railway project between Niamey, the capital city of Niger and Cotonou, the capital city of Benin has been green lighted by the authorities of the two countries and construction will begin on March 2014 [fr]. Francois Ndiaye in Niamey unpacks the set up of the financial agreement [fr] that includes...
Oktoberfest in Lomé, Togo
The month of October is most often associated with Beer fest in Germany. Yet it seems that it is also slowly becoming a tradition in Togo. LoveJoyce Amavi, a blogger in Lomé, The capital city of Togo, denounces the absurdity of such a fest in his city. He writes in...
Sifting Fact From Fiction on the French Speaking Web
"Some people, known for their political activism, knowingly share false information." In this post we look at fact-checking projects in Francophone online media.
Alleged Fraud during Parliamentary Elections in Togo
Parliamentary Elections are underway in Togo today (25/07/2013). The Save Togo Association has already reported instances of alleged fraud [fr]. Togolese activist Sylvio Combey posted an image from one of the polling station on twitter: 8h l'urne vient d'être montrée vide aux votants à #Kanyikopé #TGInfo #TG2013 #Nukpola #Fb pic.twitter.com/DZU1iFTPqI —...
Tear Gas and Rubber Bullets Break Journalist Protest in Togo
On March 14, 2013, security forces violently broke up a sit-in by private sector journalists in Togo. The journalists were protesting the new dispositions of the Organic Law which mean business licences of the Togolese media can now be withdrawn without judicial proceedings. The protests against the law of the High Audiovisual and Communications Authority (HAAC) took place in Lomé, largest city and capital of Togo. Security forces used clubs, tear gas bombs and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrations resulting in several journalists being injured.