Togo protests hotbead in lockdown as vote looms

When Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe took to the stage for an election rally in the city of Sokode this month, the crowd chanted the campaign’s popular catchphrase: “Knockout blow.” It was a potent message in a city that was once at the heart of opposition to the Gnassingbe family, which has dominated the West African state for more than half a century. The 53-year-old leader himself seemed impressed. “How can I not be surprised by the welcome you’re giving me today?” he asked. Through 2017 and 2018, huge...