ECOWAS Court: Togo's Constitutional Reforms Declared Unconstitutional

In Togo, Professor Komi Wolou, a prominent legal scholar and professor of private and criminal law at the University of Lomé, recently interpreted a ruling by the ECOWAS Court of Justice, stating that it formally declared the 2024 constitutional reforms enacted by the Togolese government as unconstitutional. Speaking at a conference-debate organized by the Cadre National de Concertation pour le Changement (CNCC) in Lomé, Pr. Wolou characterized the implications of this finding as akin to a 'coup d'état' in common parlance. He further elaborated that the Court's decision explicitly references the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), which, in his view, mandates a return to normalcy and the removal of those responsible for such unconstitutional changes. While acknowledging the absence of direct sanctions from the ECOWAS Court, Pr. Wolou clarified that the Court indicated that applicable sanctions should be imposed by the African Union, and efforts are reportedly underway to ensure their application.