On February 10, 2026, the human rights community in Togo and West Africa lost one of its pioneers. Maître DEVOTSOU Koffimessa Afeli, lawyer at the Togo Bar, first president of the Togolese Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (CTDDH) and founding figure of the West African Network of Human Rights Defenders, passed away in the Lord.
During the troubled years that Togo has endured, Maître Devotsou has established himself as a courageous and unwavering voice. At the head of the CTDDH, alongside its Secretary General Clément Voulé and Treasurer General Dominique Fonzan, he has championed the mission of protecting not only the rights of citizens, but also those of the defenders themselves, who are often exposed to threats and intimidation.
His commitment helped to give institutional legitimacy to civil society actors, paving the way for regional solidarity.
Beyond his role as an activist, Maître Devotsou practiced law with rigor and passion at the Togo Bar. His professional practice was inseparable from his struggle: he used the law as a tool for protection and liberation, pleading for the oppressed and defending fundamental freedoms.
This departure comes at the same time as that of Dominique Kofi Fonzan, the coalition's first Treasurer General, President of the AIDER association, Medical Assistant, and Reverend Pastor, who passed away on the same day in a clinic in Lomé. His funeral is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.
Two founding figures are leaving us, leaving behind a huge void but also a precious legacy: that of resilience, solidarity, and courage.
The funeral of Maître Devotsou will begin on February 25, 2026, with a vigil of prayer and singing at the Tokoin Solidarité Baptist Church in Lomé. It will continue on February 27 and 28, 2026, in his native village of Kpélé Agbanon, in the municipality of Kpélé 2.
The memory of Maître DEVOTSOU Koffimessa Afeli and Dominique Kofi FONZAN will remain engraved in the history of Togo and West Africa. Their fight for human rights and the protection of defenders is already inspiring a new generation of committed actors. More than just actors, they were builders of bridges between institutions and citizens, artisans of human dignity.
