The President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, has decreed the integration of the Ministry of Defense into his powers as head of state in the face of increasing jihadist violence in the north of the African country.

The presidential decree, reported by the Togo Breaking News portal, states that the Ministry of the Armed Forces will be “attached to the Presidency of the Republic” following the dismissal of Marguerite Essozimna Gnakdé, until now head of the Ministry.

Essozimna Gnakdé, who held the post since October 2020, has been dismissed along with the Chief of Army Staff, Dadja Manganawé, as first reported by the news portal Ici Lomé. Manganawé will be replaced by Tassounti Djato, who will have Kokou Oyomé as his deputy.

Togo was relatively safe until recently from the jihadist violence that has devastated its northern neighbor, Burkina Faso, and other countries in the Sahel region for most of the last decade.

The Sahel area in particular, and now increasingly that of the Gulf of Guinea, has become a priority for Al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates operating in the region, which has seen a significant increase in attacks since 2015.

Source: EUROPA PRESS