Togo extends state of emergency due to militant attacks
Togo, a country in West Africa, has prolonged the state of emergency in its northern Savanes region for an additional six months as a result of ongoing attacks by jihadist extremists.
To restore security in the area, the Togolese parliament on Tuesday adopted a six-month state of emergency.
A statement from Damehame Yark, the Togolese security minister, said that the extension was “necessary for the proper conduct of military operations” and “a return to peace” in the region.
In June, Togo imposed a three-month state of emergency in the Savanes region following an attack by Islamist terrorists that left eight soldiers dead and 13 injured.
More recently, local media reported that a series of attacks on July 15 resulted in the deaths of between 15 and 20 persons. Although the army did not provide any official statistics regarding this incident, it was established that "a number" of individuals were killed and injured.
On August 22, a new attack targeted Togolese security and defence troops in the village of Blamonga, which is close to the Burkina Faso border. Before the armed groups withdrew, there was a lengthy exchange of fire that resulted in a few soldiers being hurt.
Togo, after Benin, Ghana and Ivory Coast, is the latest country on the coast of West Africa to become the target of Islamist militants coming from the Sahel region.