Opposition groups in Togo voiced concern on Tuesday over the alleged presence of hundreds of Russian mercenaries and Turkish private military personnel in the north, which has reported jihadist incursions.
A grouping of opposition and civil society coalitions cited media reports of "foreign forces on the ground", in a statement sent to AFP.
It said they included members of Russia's paramilitary Africa Corps and the Turkish private military company SADAT. Officials have not confirmed the claim.
Since late 2021, the far north of the country has been affected by incursions from jihadist groups which have destabilised the neighbouring Sahel region for a decade and are gradually spreading to coastal west African states, including Togo.
Referring to the alleged foreign force deployments, the Togolese groups said they were "concerned by the lack of transparency surrounding these strategic decisions and the excesses that may result from them".
They demanded that "no foreign force be involved in surveillance, intimidation, arrest or repression operations against the population".
Togo signed a framework military cooperation agreement with Turkey in 2021 and a similar accord with Russia in 2025.
The latter allowed Moscow to deploy "instructors", military ships and aircraft.
In response to jihadist incursions, Togo declared a state of emergency in the northern Savanes region in June 2022, which was extended for a year in February.
Around 8,000 Togolese soldiers are deployed there as part of Operation Koundjoare, launched in 2018.
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