Six Togolese journalists assaulted while covering a political meeting in Lomé two years ago have renewed calls for authorities to disclose the progress of investigations into the incident, saying they are still waiting for answers.
The journalists were covering a meeting at the headquarters of the Convention démocratique des peuples africains (CDPA) on September 29, 2024, when violence erupted during a gathering attended by Senegalese Member of Parliament and ECOWAS parliamentarian Guy Marius Sagna.
According to the journalists, the meeting descended into chaos shortly after it began, with chairs and other objects thrown towards the head table. Mr Sagna was assaulted and injured, while several political figures, participants and journalists were also caught up in the violence.
The six journalists—Romuald Koffi Lansou, Yawo Klousse, Kokou Godfrey Akpa, Hyacinthe Kokuvi Gbloédjro, Albert Akouété Agbeko and Yvette Sossou—said they were targeted while attempting to cover the incident.
They said their phones, recorders and other professional equipment were taken and thrown into a well.
For the journalists, the incident represented more than the loss of equipment.
They said it raised broader concerns about the safety of journalists working in the field and their ability to gather information without intimidation or violence.
"Two years later, we are still waiting to know the outcome of those steps," they said in a statement issued on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of the incident.
The journalists also questioned the response of security forces who they said were near the scene as the violence unfolded.
They said security personnel were present but did not intervene to stop the attacks.
The journalists are seeking an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the security response, including what role officers had been assigned and why intervention did not occur as the situation deteriorated.
They also want authorities to establish who organised or mobilised those involved in the violence and how the attackers gained access to the venue.
The journalists said some political actors and observers described the attackers after the incident as "militiamen", "thugs" or "enforcers".
However, they said they were not seeking to prejudge any judicial process.
Instead, they called for those involved to be identified, questioned and, where evidence establishes individual responsibility, prosecuted through the courts.
"We are not asking for people to be declared guilty without an investigation. We are simply asking for the truth to be established," they said.
The journalists said they had formally reported the incident and their losses to the relevant authorities after the assault.
They said authorities subsequently announced that procedures would be initiated to establish what happened and identify those responsible.
But two years later, they said they had not received sufficient information about the progress or outcome of those proceedings.
The journalists said the prolonged wait had also compounded the impact of the incident, with memories of the violence continuing to affect their sense of security while working.
They said equipment could be replaced, but rebuilding confidence among journalists who fear being attacked while carrying out their duties was more difficult.
"Freedom of the press is not limited to the ability to publish an article," they said. "It also requires that journalists be able to gather information without being assaulted, threatened or stripped of the tools they need to do their work."
The journalists stressed that their demand was not for revenge but for accountability through established legal procedures.
They want authorities to examine witness accounts, identify those involved, determine individual responsibility and investigate whether there were failures in protecting participants and journalists at the meeting.
"On 29 September 2024, we were journalists who had come to cover a meeting. We left as victims," they said.
"Two years later, the question remains: where exactly do the investigations stand?"
The statement was signed in Lomé on September 29, 2026, by the six journalists from Togovision, afriquenligne.tg, icilome.com, Nana FM, Togo Scoop Info, La Dépêche and Canal D.
They said they would continue seeking answers to what happened, stressing that their demand was for the facts to be established through the justice system and for victims to be informed about the status of the case.