Trade activities along the Aflao border have been slow despite the restoration of peace in Togo after days of widespread violence across the capital, Lome.
Youth in Togo in the last few weeks embarked on civil protests to demand the resignation of the country’s President, Faùre Gnassingbè in response to a constitutional reform which critics believe will enable Mr Gnassingbè to remain in power indefinitely.
The protests which were met with brute opposition from government security forces and the arrest of many protesters disrupted cross-border trade activities between Togo and its western neighbors, Ghana, particularly in towns and communities along the border.
Local business owners in Aflao told 3news in an interview that their businesses have seen a downturn in the last few weeks due to the crisis in Togo -since many Ghanaian traders who travel all the way from Kumasi, Takoradi, Accra among others to do business in Togo have stopped coming.
This they attributed to uncertainty over the security situation in Togo.
“Traders from Kumasi, Accra and Takoradi have stopped coming because they’re unsure of the situation in Togo, they are scared,” a local forex trader, Papa Agblevor, told 3news.
“I am a forex trader, I sell and buy currencies including the African CFA, so once the traders stopped coming, my business is affected,” he added.
The impact of the crisis, according to transport service operators, has been overwhelming.
“Our business has been affected, the inflow of passengers has reduced because of the crisis -we used to load two, three cars at a time but now, see the number of vehicles parked here, they’re not moving because traders are not coming,” Atah Afetorgbor, a driver at the STC bus terminal told the reporter.
The Asigame market in Lome, which plays host to a large number of cross-border traders from Ghana, particularly women was shutdown during the unrest in Togo.
The impact on trade activities is believed to have been exacerbated following the arrest of several foreign nationals the Togolese government claimed are behind the widespread protests that hit the country in June.
Though local border residents are able to engage in petty trade, the larger business community from Ghana remains uncertain and are yet to return fully to the market.
