Togolese President reshuffles military, sack Minister

Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbe has reshuffled the nation’s military and sacked the Minister of the Armed Forces of the country, Marguerite Essossimna Gnakade and announced a new Chief of Staff.

Gnassingbe gave no reasons for the reshufflement in his address to the people on national television during his presidential decrees on Thursday.

The development might not be unconnected with the growing security threats by jihadists in the neighbouring West African country.

Togo was in November, 2021attacked by terrorists on its northern border by the suspected terrorists believed to have their incursion through the neighborhood of Burkina Faso.

The president’s first presidential decree announcing the minister’s removal said, “Marguerite Essossimna Gnakade is relieved of her duties as armed forces minister,” adding that the minister had been “called to other duties.”

While another decree stated that no replacement would be named as the armed forces would be answerable directly to the presidency, under the orders of Gnassingbe, as was the case from 2007 to 2020.

Meanwhile, President Gnassingbe announced the promotion of the former chief of staff of the Air Force, Colonel Tassounti Djato, to General and while he appointed chief of general staff of the Togolese Armed Forces to replace General Dadja Maganawe, who had occupied the position since late 2020.

togo, like many other West African countries, has been facing security challenges. In the middle of July this year, it was reported how unidentified armed individuals carried out a bloody attack in the country, as the army reported “several dead and a few wounded.”

Local media reported that between 15 and 20 civilians were killed. And in November, local media reported a deadly attack on armed forces in the far North which the media was unable to confirm and the authorities refused to comment on the attack.