Togo Detains And Expels Ex-Burkina Faso Leader Damiba

Tuesday 20th January 2026

By inAfrika Newsroom

Togo expels Paul-Henri Damiba after coup plot claim, two sources told Reuters on Tuesday, in a move that adds new strain to Sahel politics as governments confront both security threats and leadership contestation.

Damiba led a 2022 coup in Burkina Faso before he was removed later that year. Reuters reported that Burkinabe officials had accused him of attempting another coup, and that Togo arrested and expelled him back to Burkina Faso.

The development matters because it touches regional rules around asylum, political exile, and security cooperation. West African states have often hosted political figures displaced by coups or leadership change. However, hosting can become a risk when the home government alleges active destabilisation or plot coordination from abroad.

For Togo, the case tests how it balances sovereignty, diplomacy, and internal security. For Burkina Faso, it reflects the junta’s focus on consolidating authority while it fights an Islamist insurgency that has reshaped governance and public life across parts of the country.

The regional backdrop is increasingly transactional. Governments want tighter intelligence sharing, more border coordination, and fewer safe havens for armed or political challengers. Yet expulsions can also raise due-process questions and intensify political rivalries if the returnee becomes a rallying point for opposition networks.

Across coastal West Africa, the security spillover risk remains high. Militancy has pressured Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and officials in neighbouring states have warned about southward drift. Events that unsettle Burkinabe politics can therefore influence regional security planning and donor engagement, including support for border policing and community stabilisation programmes.

Togo expels Paul-Henri Damiba: what changes for the region

The immediate issue is whether the expulsion reduces or escalates tension. If Burkina Faso treats the return as a security case, it can lead to prosecutions or further internal purges. That can affect elite cohesion and the military chain of command at a time when operational focus remains on counterinsurgency.

For Togo and other neighbours, the episode can shift how political exiles are handled. It may also affect how regional mediators approach dialogue, since leaders can become reluctant to offer safe passage or hosting arrangements if those arrangements later trigger security accusations.

Next steps

Togo expels Paul-Henri Damiba after a detention and transfer, sources said. Attention now turns to how Burkina Faso’s authorities handle Damiba’s status, including potential investigations or legal proceedings, and whether regional governments adjust their security coordination in response to the allegations.

Why it matters

Togo expels Paul-Henri Damiba matters because it signals tougher regional posture on alleged coup plotting and cross-border political activity. It also shapes stability calculations in West Africa at a time when security threats and governance transitions remain closely linked.