Togo: Rapper arrested for denouncing poor governance
Image of Togolese artist Aamron. Screenshot from the music video for “Vérité” (Truth) on Aamron’s official YouTube channel
A Togolese rapper has been arrested for expressing indignation over the country’s poor governance and social injustice, which has raised serious concerns about the right to freedom of expression in Togo.
Tchala Essowè Narcisse, known on the local music scene as Aamron, is a Togolese hardcore rap artist who doesn’t shy away from addressing social issues. In May 2019, the artist released the video for his French-language song “Vérité” (Truth), which features a community leader abusing his power and manipulating his citizens. This latest release took the artist’s career in a new direction. Here is the music video for “Vérité”:
In the video’s caption, Aamron wrote:
Apolitique Mais Humain
la mise en scène faite dans cette vidéo ne fait que refléter le fonctionnement de nos différentes sociétés depuis que le MONDE est monde. Nous n'avons rien contre PERSONNE. NOUS défendons juste des PRINCIPES UNIVERSELS. EN VÉRITÉ tout n'est que VANITÉ.
Renonçons, comme l'a fait le ROI CIVILISATEUR à la fin de cette vidéo, aux MASQUES des FAUSSES VALEURS, aux RITUELS des FAUSSES CROYANCES, à la course aux FAUX pouvoir et partons COURAGEUSEMENT, à la quête du VÉRITABLE POUVOIR…DIEUpuisse cette vidéo ouvrir à des milliers, LA VUE!
Apolitical But Human
the portrayals in this video merely reflect how our various societies have worked since the beginning of time. We have nothing against ANYONE. We are simply defending UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES. IN TRUTH, it’s nothing but VANITY. Like the KING at the end of this video, let’s abandon the MASKS of FALSE VALUES, the RITUALS of FALSE BELIEFS, and the race for FALSE power. Let’s COURAGEOUSLY embark on a quest for TRUE POWER…GOD
May this video expand the AWARENESS of thousands!
Being vocal against a longstanding system
Since late 2024, Aamron has increasingly spoken out publicly, loudly expressing what many Togolese citizens think: the government is abusing its power, harming regular citizens who are burdened by poverty. In 2024, Afro Barometer published a study report in which Togolese citizens deplored the country’s economic conditions.
In his Facebook videos, the artist challenges government officials and denounces their abuse of power. In the live videos he regularly posts on his Official TikTok account, the artist openly and frankly criticizes the government of Faure Gnassingbé, President of Togo for the last 20 years (2005–2025), and President of the Council of Ministers of the Togolese Republic (the highest office according to the Constitution of the Fifth Republic) since May 3, 2025. On May 29, 2025, the Togolese media outlet Plume d'Afrique published an article quoting the artist:
…le rappeur s’est distingué de ses collègues à travers ses sorties tonitruantes à l’encontre du régime en place. Depuis quelques mois, sur les réseaux sociaux, il s’est lancé dans une aventure d’éveil des consciences de la jeunesse togolaise, en décortiquant l’actualité sociopolitique et la gestion de son pays le Togo, qu’il qualifie de « calamiteuse ».
The rapper stands out from his fellow artists due to his outbursts towards the current regime. For the last few months, he has been on a social media awareness-raising campaign targeting the Togolese youth, analyzing the current sociopolitical issues and what he calls his country’s ‘disastrous’ governance.
His incessant appeals to the Togolese youth on Facebook, calling for national mobilization efforts, reportedly angered the government. On May 26, 2025, Aamron was arrested at his home in Lomé (the capital of Togo). The Togolese media were quick to report the news.
Support and calls for his release
The first show of support for the artist came from his family. A few hours after his arrest, his daughter recorded a video that the Draufgängerisch account shared on X (formerly Twitter):
La fille d'Aamron, 14 ans, prend la parole. https://t.co/tWTQrhVkkq, où est donc passé votre courage ?#FreeTogoNow pic.twitter.com/0N7KXxdxDA
Aamron’s 14-year-old daughter makes a statement. https://t.co/tWTQrhVkkq #FreeTogoNow pic.twitter.com/0N7KXxdxDA
Reactions have been intense throughout Togo. A wave of indignation has swept across civil society and the political sphere, leading to calls for the artist’s unconditional release. The Dynamics for the Majority of the People (DMP), a coalition of six political parties and seven civil society organizations, denounced this arbitrary arrest in a country in a political crisis.
On May 27, 2025, DMP released a statement demanding that the Togolese government release several prisoners. These include Aamron and Koffi H. Sitsopé Sokpor, more commonly known as “Affecti,” a poet and cyber activist detained for his social media posts. Political prisoners, especially those involved in the “Tiger Revolution” affair in 2019, are also included. These prisoners are accused of attempting to destabilize the country’s institutions.
On May 29, 2025, the opposition party National Alliance for Change (ANC) released a statement condemning yet another arbitrary arrest and warning the Togolese regime that the injustice must stop.
…L’ANC met en garde le pouvoir RPT/UNIR [Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais/Union pour la République, parti au pouvoir] que le peuple togolais ne saurait accepter plus longtemps les violences et les brutalités policières, les dénis de justice et les exactions d’un autre âge.
ANC warns the RPT/UNIR [Rally of the Togolese People/Union for the Republic, the ruling party] that the Togolese people will no longer accept police violence and brutality, miscarriages of justice, or age-old atrocities.
Online support for the artist is growing. In a video posted on X, Nathaniel Olympio, the politician and President of Cercle Kekeli, a West African study group, believes the arrests in Lomé herald the end of the regime.
#Togo : Aamron, le talentueux et courageux artiste qui dénonçait les dérives du pouvoir est jeté en prison la nuit dernière.
Mais, la répression n’empêche plus des voix de s’élever, comme AAmron, Affectio, Marguerite Gnakadé, et il y en aura de plus en plus.
Les Togolais sentent que la fin du régime approche, à grands pas. Persévérance ! pic.twitter.com/QgzHieJuPq
#Togo: Aamron, the talented and courageous artist who denounced the abuse of power, was imprisoned last night.
However, repression can no longer prevent voices from being heard. There will be more like AAmron, Affectio, and Marguerite Gnakadé.
The Togolese feel the end of the regime is fast approaching. Perseverance! pic.twitter.com/QgzHieJuPq
On X, Farida Nabourema, a human rights activist and Togolese citizen who has lived in exile for several years, noted that this practice is consistent with Faure Gnassingbé’s merciless regime.
J’ai appris, sans aucune surprise, l’arrestation du rappeur togolais Amron. Depuis quelque temps, il dénonçait avec détermination et courage le régime sanguinaire de Faure Gnassingbé. Cette arrestation ne m’a pas étonnée, car elle s’inscrit dans la logique implacable de la… pic.twitter.com/P9F0wdugDY
— Farida Bemba Nabourema (@Farida_N) May 27, 2025
It was no surprise to hear of Togolese rapper Aamron’s arrest. For some time now, he has boldly denounced Faure Gnassingbé’s bloody regime. This arrest didn’t surprise me, as it follows the uncompromising logic behind the dictatorship.
Freedom of expression violation
In Togo, freedom of expression is guaranteed, or at least that’s what Article 25 of the Constitution of the Fifth Republic states. However, its use has become a privilege few Togolese citizens can afford without risks. The current situation is, therefore, a serious human rights violation. According to the 2024 Amnesty International Report on the human rights situation in Togo, Aamron’s arrest is the latest in a long list of Togolese people being arrested and detained under precarious circumstances.
In this country, where more than 25 percent of the population is Catholic, the outrage is so intense that even the Church has spoken out. A few hours before the artist’s arrest, the Episcopal Conference of Togo (CET) released a statement calling on the Togolese authorities to engage in sincere dialogue:
Une conviction nous habite : le pays court un risque en couvant les frustrations ; car une Nation ne se bâtit pas durablement sur le silence imposé, sur la peur suscitée et entretenue, sur le mépris de la voix de son Peuple ou encore sur un entêtement à faire croire au Peuple, le contraire du vrai. Les peurs, les frustrations tuent, se muent en actes désespérés et les colères muettes deviennent des déflagrations imprévisibles.
We believe that the country is at risk of harboring frustrations. A stable nation is not built on enforced silence, sustained fear, contempt for the people’s voices, and a stubborn determination to make the people believe the opposite of the truth. Fear and frustration kill, often becoming acts of desperation, and unspoken anger leads to unpredictable conflicts.
Thus far, the government in Lomé has not commented on the many appeals from Togolese politicians, civil society actors, citizens, and religious figures. So, what exactly are the Togolese authorities waiting for before engaging in dialogue with the Togolese people?
Read our special coverage: Togo: A country with a dual identify
