LOME (Reuters) - Two protesters were killed and 13 others wounded in Togo on Saturday when security forces opened fire to break up demonstrations against the ruling Gnassingbe family dynasty, the security ministry said.

President Faure Gnassingbe has been in power in the West African country since the death in 2005 of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who had been at the helm for 38 years.

Wearing the red colors of the opposition PNP party, chanting and singing “50 years is too long!”, thousands of demonstrators in the capital Lome called for the reinstatement of the constitution limiting terms that Eyadema introduced in response to protests in 1992.

Security forces fired tear gas to disperse them.

But in a parallel protest in Sokode, 210 miles (338 km) north of the capital, clashes erupted and Togolese forces used live bullets.

The security ministry said that apart from the casualties among protesters 12 gendarmes had also been wounded.

“We do not understand our little Togo,” said demonstrator Ali Boukari. “The father Eyadema was in power for 38 years, his son will soon have done 15 years. All we are demanding is a term limit and they shoot (tear gas) at us.”

The 1992 constitution brought in notional multi-party democracy after decades of dictatorship, and limited presidential terms to two, but ten years later lawmakers amended it to enable Eyadema to run for another term - a common pattern in Africa.

Then, when he died, the military effectively tore up the constitution by installing his son as interim president, instead of the head of the national assembly, as was legally required.

The protests that followed Faure Gnassingbe’s first election victory in 2005 triggered a violent security crackdown in which around 500 people were killed.

“We are protesting against the arbitrary nature of governance and denial of freedom to assemble,” PNP leader Tikpi Atchadam said.</s>Togo protest turns bloody, 7 killed

 

 Togo opposition leader told a press conference, Saturday night, that police fired into the crowd as they demonstrated against the ruling party. Tikpi Atchadam, President of the Togolese Pan African National Party said, “Police shot and killed seven …</s>Togo’s Security forces are still trying to quell anti-Gnassingbe protests that erupted in the capital Lome, Saturday, with parallel demonstrations in Sokode, Togo, and Ghana’s capital Accra.

So far two protesters have been reported killed and 13 others wounded after the security forces opened fire to break up demonstrations against the ruling Gnassingbe family dynasty.

The demonstrators are demanding the country’s return to its 1992 Constitution which allowed multi-party democracy with a limited Presidential term of office; as many of them sang and chanted “50 years is too long”.

They also accuse the President of superintending over corruption in the country.

President Faure Gnassingbe has been in power since 2005 when his father, Eyadema Gnassingbe, died. His father had ruled the country for 38 years.

But the demonstrators say they are demanding “good elections with real results”, according to Civil Society member and Coordinator of the National Platform for Social Universities, Prof. David Dosseh.

Though the demonstrations were started by the main opposition PNP, CAP 2015, a coalition of five smaller opposition parties, and another coalition of six other smaller opposition parties, have both expressed support for the demonstrations.

“The military is said to have been deployed with many checkpoints erected following this support in fears that the demonstration may escalate in the coming hours”, Prof Dosseh said.

President Faure Gnassingbe is however yet to speak on the demonstrations and the killings.</s>Ho, Aug. 20, GNA - Nine persons, two civilians and seven security personnel are reported to have lost their lives in fresh political protests at Atakpame-Sokode in the Republic of Togo on Saturday.

The security clashed with hundreds of civilians demonstrating against changes in the Togolese Constitution, which they claim allowed presidents to remain in power 'forever' until voted out.

Two civilians were earlier shot dead allegedly in an attempt by the security to dispel the demonstrators.

The civilians reacted by burning security vehicles and killing seven security men.

Sources close to the Border Security Committee (BODSEC) told the Ghana News Agency that some demonstrators were picked by the police for questioning.

Similar protests took place worldwide, with demonstrators calling for the country to go back to its 1992 Constitution, which gave presidents two terms of four years to be in office.

Meanwhile, the country's main frontier, Lome-Aflao Border remains opened with no disruption in socioeconomic activities.</s>LOME, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Security forces in Togo fired teargas on Saturday to disperse thousands of protesters calling for an end to the Gnassingbe family dynasty, which has ruled the West African nation for five decades.

President Faure Gnassingbe has been in power since the death in 2005 of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who had been at the helm for 38 years.

Wearing the red colours of the opposition PNP party, chanting and singing "50 years is too long!", the demonstrators in Lome called for the reinstatement of the constitution limiting terms that Eyadema introduced in response to protests in 1992.

"We do not understand our little Togo," said demonstrator Ali Boukari. "The father Eyadema was in power for 38 years, his son will soon have done 15 years. All we are demanding is a term limit and they shoot (tear gas) at us."

The 1992 constitution brought in notional multi-party democracy after decades of dictatorship, and limited presidential terms to two, but ten years later lawmakers amended it to enable Eyadema to run for another term - a common pattern in Africa.

Then, when he died, the military effectively tore up the constitution by installing his son as interim president, instead of the head of the national assembly, as was legally required.

The protests that followed Faure Gnassingbe's first election victory in 2005 triggered a violent security crackdown in which around 500 people were killed.

"We are protesting against the arbitrary nature of governance and denial of freedom to assemble," PNP leader Tikpi Atchadam said.
Two people are killed and 13 wounded during an anti-government protests in Togo.