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The groups said three bodies, two of them minors, were found on Friday in Be lagoon, east of the capital Lome. They said the bodies of two brothers were found on the same day in a lake in Lome’s Akodessewa district. And they said two more bodies were discovered on Saturday in Nyekonakpoe, also in Lome.
“The government expresses its sympathy to bereaved families and reminds all residents near water bodies to observe safety rules around water areas, especially during this rainy season,” the statement said.
The protests were part of persistent political strife in Togo, where in May Gnassingbe took the powerful new role of President of the Council of Ministers that has no fixed term limit.
Civil society groups say the new title for Gnassingbe, whose family has ruled Togo since 1967, is another indication of democratic backsliding in West Africa, a region known for coups and leaders entrenching themselves in power for generations.