A wave of terror violence has swept across northern Togo this year, claiming the lives of 54 civilians and eight soldiers. Foreign Minister Robert Dussey confirmed the figures in an interview with Reuters, marking a rare public acknowledgement of the growing threat from militants.
The attacks have been blamed on Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al Qaeda affiliate active in the Sahel region of West Africa. Dussey said the group was responsible for at least 15 attacks in 2025, underlining the deepening insecurity in the area bordering Burkina Faso.
Terrorist groups have increasingly shifted their focus to coastal West Africa, exploiting weakened regional alliances and fragile borders. Once contained to northern Mali, the insurgency has spread relentlessly since 2012, first to Burkina Faso and Niger, now encroaching on Togo.
A sharp uptick in violence during May and June marked one of the bloodiest chapters in the Sahel’s modern history, analysts say. Despite expensive military interventions, Al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates have gained ground, displacing millions and leaving thousands dead.
Togo has deployed 8,000 troops in the north, reinforcing its border with Burkina Faso where JNIM is also escalating attacks. Dussey noted strong cooperation with Burkina Faso, praising regional coordination as key to countering the transnational insurgent threat.
He said Togo plays a pivotal diplomatic role, bridging the Economic Community of West African States and the military-led Confederation of Sahel States. As violence spreads beyond the Sahel’s core, Togo’s quiet struggle is becoming a frontline in West Africa’s war against extremism.