Lomé: the subtle tug-of-war between Paris and Moscow

Once a steady, low-profile ally of France in West Africa, Togo has emerged as the latest battleground in a high-stakes geopolitical rivalry. The stakes could not be higher: influence in a country that serves as a strategic gateway to the Gulf of Guinea. Between soft power initiatives, security pacts, and diplomatic maneuvering, Paris and Moscow are locked in a silent struggle for the allegiance of a nation caught between old ties and new ambitions.

A delayed awakening in French diplomacy

Paris appears to have finally recognized the shifting sands of influence in West Africa. In April 2026, the French foreign minister made an official visit to Lomé. It was the first such trip by a French diplomatic chief in more than twenty years—a clear signal that France is attempting to reclaim ground it has lost across the Sahel.

With traditional moral arguments losing their grip on regional allies, France has pivoted toward tangible investments aimed at reshaping its image. A new university hospital and a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence center in Lomé are part of a broader push to position France as a forward-looking partner for Togo’s youth and emerging leaders. The goal: to counter the rising tide of anti-French sentiment sweeping the continent by offering progress instead of rhetoric.

The Africa Corps and Togo’s security dilemma

Yet on the most critical front—security—Moscow has stolen a march. Northern Togo, particularly the Savanes region, faces growing jihadist threats, forcing Lomé to seek rapid, uncompromising solutions. In 2025, the Togolese government formalized a military cooperation agreement with Russia, paving the way for the deployment of the Africa Corps, the Kremlin’s successor to the Wagner Group. For Lomé, the appeal is clear: tangible operational support and military hardware without the political strings often attached to French assistance.

While France’s approach to regional security is frequently criticized as cumbersome and conditional, Moscow’s offer is direct—arms in exchange for access, with no strings attached beyond the immediate needs of the host nation.

Beyond weapons: railroads, soft power, and economic leverage

Russia’s ambitions extend far beyond military cooperation. The Kremlin has set its sights on Lomé’s deep-water port, the region’s only major maritime hub and a vital artery for trade. Plans are already underway to transform the port into a Russian gateway to the Sahel hinterland. Among the proposed projects is a railway line and a pipeline connecting Lomé to Burkina Faso, creating a logistical corridor that would bind the Gulf of Guinea to the military regimes of the Sahel.

Moscow is also waging a relentless soft power campaign to win hearts and minds in Togo:

• Education: A sharp rise in scholarships for Togolese students to study in Russia.
• Culture: The opening of Russian language centers and the organization of cultural events, including concerts in Lomé.
• Information warfare: The dissemination of sovereignist and anti-Western narratives that resonate with a segment of the local population.

Faure Gnassingbé: master of the balancing act

At the center of this geopolitical storm is Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, a leader whose political acumen lies in his ability to play both sides without committing entirely to either. While maintaining close ties with Western partners—evidenced by his active participation in France-Africa summits—he is simultaneously preparing for the upcoming Russia-Africa summit in October.

« The danger of such a strategy is that Togo’s national interests may become secondary to a global confrontation that is beyond its control, » warns a regional political analyst.

By positioning itself at the crossroads of two competing visions—Moscow’s security-first pragmatism and anti-colonial discourse, and Paris’s historical ties and developmental aid—Togo has become a testing ground for the new power dynamics reshaping Africa. It is a diplomacy of tightrope walking, one whose long-term costs of dependence remain uncertain.