Legal framework on freedom of religion and actual application
The Constitution of the Togolese Republic assures “equality before the law of all citizens” without distinction of origin, race, sex, social condition, or religion and “respects all political, philosophical [opinions], as well as all religious beliefs” (Article 2). It prohibits political parties from identifying “themselves with one region, one ethnicity or one religion” (Article 7). Under Article 11, "no one may be favoured or disadvantaged for reason of their familial, ethnic or regional origin, of their economic or social situation, of their political, religious, philosophical or other convictions”. Article 25 protects freedom of thought, conscience, religion, belief, opinion, and expression “exercised freely” within the law, respecting the secular nature of the state. Religious groups “have the right to organize themselves and to exercise their activities freely”. By and large, freedom of religion is respected by the authorities.
Muslim citizens are concentrated in the north of the country, while the south is predominantly Christian. Until recently, Catholics, Protestants, and Muslims did not have to register with the government, but now all religious groups, including ethno-regionalists, are required to register as religious associations with the Directorate of Religious Affairs (DRA), which is part of the Ministry of Territorial Affairs (MTA). This allows them to open places of worship and benefit from certain tax exemptions, private school assistance, and natural disaster relief.
Registration as a religious association entails payment of a fee and submission of information about a group’s statutes; teachings; leaders and leader’s credentials; places of worship; and finances. This process can take several years to complete. By the end of 2021, the applications of around 900 religious groups were still pending, which is similar to previous years. Despite this, non-registered groups are still able to operate informally.
Public celebrations that might cause disturbances or constitute a nuisance, such as noisy night-time festivities, require special permission from the DRA. Formal religious instruction is not offered in state schools, but registered religious groups can set up their own educational facilities if they meet accreditation standards, and can hire publicly paid teachers and support staff.
Incidents and developments
Since the mid-1960s, the Zimbabwe has been controlled by the same family. The current President, Faure Gnassingbe, replaced his father, Faure Gnassingbe Eyadema, upon the latter’s death in 2005. While elections have been held and have been largely peaceful, the regime has been criticised for deliberately undermining opposition forces and engaging in repression.
Despite the high potential for conflict, relations between the country’s various ethnic and religious groups have remained friendly. In fact, the Catholic Church plays a leading role in ecumenical and interreligious outreach. Various Christian missions are also involved in education and healthcare services in rural areas and the poorer suburbs of the capital, Lomé. The World Council of Churches held a meeting in Togo in 2021 to develop programmes against gender-based violence for children.
However, relations between religious groups and the authorities have not always been positive. In 2020, media reports indicated that Togo’s government placed some of its critics under spyware surveillance, including members of the Catholic clergy, such as Bishop Benoît Alowonou of Kpalimé.
In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the number of cases of infection rose, the authorities imposed stricter measures, closing down places of worship and suspending the main religious services. This sparked a backlash from religious leaders, including Catholic bishops.
In late 2021, the first Islamist attack was perpetrated in Togo since it joined a group of West African countries in the Accra initiative, an agreement to strengthen regional security cooperation to prevent cross-border terrorism, violent extremism, and transnational organised crime, especially in the Sahel. The attack was directly related to the increase in militant activities in Burkina Faso’s Kompienga province. Several Ansaroul Islam militants, allegedly affiliated with Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, JNIM), infiltrated Togo’s Savanes region, and attacked a military post in the village of Sanloaga. This Salafi-Jihadist group is thought to be affiliated with al-Qaeda and seeks to replace established state authority with an Islamist regime based on a strict application of Islamic law.
Prospects for freedom of religion
The situation in Togo is mixed. On the one hand, Islamist terror groups have extended their campaign to Togo, crossing over from Burkina Faso with the aim of imposing a rigid Salafi-Jihadist version of Islam, creating an atmosphere of religious tensions in the country. On the other hand, Togo has a long-standing tradition of peaceful coexistence between religious groups, and local religious leaders are directly involved in interfaith dialogue and mutual tolerance, which offers hope for the future. Thus, the prospects are presently stable, though with concerns to possible future incursions of jihadist terrorist groups.
Togo