In northern Togo, a quiet yet intense geopolitical rivalry is unfolding. Reports indicate that over 300 personnel from the Russian Africa Corps the successor entity to the Wagner Group are currently operating within the country. Concurrently, Turkey is expanding its own security footprint in the region, largely through operations linked to the private military firm SADAT.
This double-pronged foreign presence signals a profound transformation in Lomé’s defense strategy. Rather than merely seeking targeted, temporary military assistance, the country is turning into an arena of active competition for external powers.
Both Moscow and Ankara present their intervention as vital support for counter-terrorism operations and stability in northern Togo. Yet, beneath this stabilizing narrative lies a fierce struggle for geopolitical leverage, involving access to state leaders, lucrative defense contracts, intelligence sharing, and long-term strategic positioning.
The critical concern is no longer just about who is defending the country, but rather who is gaining influence over state decisions, at what cost, and with what consequences for the Togolese population.
Sidelining the national army raises sovereignty concerns
The growing reliance on external actors raises pressing questions about the role of the Forces armées togolaises (FAT). Togo possesses a structured national army led by experienced officers who have trained in reputable international institutions. Therefore, the expanding role of foreign partners cannot be attributed to a lack of local military competence.
Instead, it reflects a deliberate political choice that carries severe risks. Outsourcing security inevitably creates a deep-seated dependency. Nations that supply military hardware, control intelligence flows, or train elite units gradually gain the power to shape strategic defense doctrines and domestic decisions, compromising national sovereignty.
Risks of outsourcing national security systems
While foreign private military contractors can rapidly deploy personnel and hardware, they cannot substitute for a coherent national defense policy. Without sustained investment in the national army’s capabilities, local intelligence networks, and border infrastructure, Togo risks falling into a cycle of permanent dependence.
The more reliant the state becomes on foreign forces, the harder it will be to rebuild its own autonomous capacities, creating a paradox for a country that officially champions its independence.
Evaluating the jihadist threat beyond military excuses
The threat posed by armed groups like the Groupe de soutien à l’islam et aux musulmans (JNIM) in northern Togo is undeniable. However, the fight against terrorism must not serve as a blanket justification for opaque security policies.
Confronting cross-border threats requires a holistic approach that integrates intelligence, border surveillance, and regional cooperation with local economic development. A highly militarised border remains vulnerable if surrounded by systemic poverty, unemployment, and administrative neglect.
Demanding financial transparency in security spending
The financial reality of these foreign partnerships remains hidden from public view. Deploying private military entities involves substantial costs covering salaries, logistics, maintenance, and technical assistance.
Togolese citizens have a right to know how public funds are allocated and whether these high expenditures actually translate into greater safety on the ground, especially when basic services like healthcare, clean water, and education remain severely underfunded.
Waiting for basic services while foreign powers negotiate
While the administration focuses on balancing relations with foreign partners, the daily struggles of ordinary citizens are ignored. High living costs, unemployment, and failing social services demand urgent attention.
Neglecting the socio-economic needs of vulnerable populations in the north is itself a severe security risk, as poverty and marginalisation create fertile ground for radicalisation.
Stifling democratic debate under the guise of security
This militarisation coincides with an increasingly restrictive political climate. For several years, civil liberties have been curtailed, protests banned, and constitutional reforms passed that consolidate executive power.
Under a dominant security logic, the government risks treating legitimate political opposition as a threat to national stability, stifling necessary democratic debates.
Defending the nation versus protecting the ruling regime
A national military exists to protect the country’s territory and citizens, not to secure the survival of a specific political system. Relying on foreign security actors to protect the state apparatus further blurs this distinction, prioritizing regime survival over democratic accountability and the development of independent national institutions.
Preventing Togo from becoming a geopolitical playground
Togo’s strategic position in the Gulf of Guinea naturally attracts international interest. However, foreign interests must not dictate national policy. The nation must maintain its capacity to cooperate with various partners without becoming subservient to any.
True sovereignty means buying equipment and receiving training without surrendering political autonomy or administrative transparency.
Prioritising political, social, and economic reforms
Ultimately, Togo’s primary threat is not merely armed insurgency, but the growth of an unchecked security state that operates outside democratic scrutiny. Real national stability will not be achieved through costly foreign defense deals, but by investing in an independent military, transparent governance, a credible justice system, and inclusive economic development that addresses the root causes of instability.
