Timbuktu Institute – Week 4 - January 2026

Last week's news shows that Lomé seems to be navigating between internal pressures, particularly from the opposition and protesting youth, and regional alliance games. Togo had decided to hand over former Burkinabe leader Damiba to the authorities in his country, a decision justified by the Lomé Court of Appeal and by legal guarantees ruling out the death penalty. This move reflects Togo's desire to assert its judicial cooperation with its neighbors, but also brings it closer to regional security issues. Many analysts point out that Togo is adopting a cautious stance, favoring dialogue and cooperation with pro-EAS Sahel countries, while maintaining useful ties with ECOWAS and its economic partners. This position allows Lomé to retain room for maneuver, but also exposes it to internal and external pressures.

Damiba's extradition: an internal rift and a controversial precedent for asylum rights in Africa

Internally, voices are being raised to denounce the government's attitude of extraditing a political refugee, which would go against Togolese tradition. This protest reveals a tension between the executive's security and diplomatic choices on the one hand, and Togo's historical and symbolic norms regarding the protection of refugees on the other. It highlights the risk of a rift between the state and part of public opinion, while raising questions about respect for legal commitments, humanitarian values, and the country's international image. For Togolese political scientist Madi Djabakaté, "by extraditing Damiba, Togo is undermining the very foundations of the right to asylum in Africa." Damiba's extradition is not just a bilateral decision, but sets a dangerous precedent that could weaken the right to asylum as a protective principle in Africa. It also raises the alarm about the risk of political exploitation of asylum mechanisms, to the detriment of the guarantees offered to political refugees.

Does Damiba's extradition undermine the right to asylum and the country's internal cohesion?

In the same vein, human rights defenders are concerned about the severity with which the Burkinabe judicial system could treat him by sentencing him to death for all the charges against him. This concern highlights the tensions between security imperatives and respect for human rights in the current context in Burkina Faso. The accumulation of serious charges, combined with the tightening of the legal framework, could indeed lead to a maximalist application of justice, which could raise concerns about procedural guarantees, the proportionality of sentences, and judicial independence, despite the assurances offered by Ouagadougou. It should be recalled that last December, Burkina Faso reintroduced the death penalty for certain crimes, including high treason, terrorism, and espionage, into its legal arsenal. Togo is often called upon to act as an intermediary in sensitive cases, and this event could discredit its role as a credible mediator, undermining regional confidence and limiting its ability to facilitate dialogue in crisis situations.