The Army Chief of Staff, Zakari Nandja, said this was meant to avoid a power vacuum.
[4] Gnassingbé lifted the government's ban on protests on 18 February and announced that there would be a presidential election in 60 days.
[3] Opposition groups called on Gnassingbé to step down and held large protests in Lomé, Aného, Sokodé and Sinkanse.
[5] On 25 February, Gnassingbé, citing growing domestic and international pressure, announced he would resign as president, resulting in ECOWAS lifting sanctions.
[8] In May 2017, around 35,000 Togolese citizens fled to Benin and Ghana, citing abductions and forced disappearances, which were believed to be politically motivated.