Togo 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Lomé. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Togo. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s Togo country page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Togo at Level 1, indicating travelers should exercise normal precautions Reconsider travel to the northern border region adjacent to Burkina Faso due to potential for terrorism and kidnapping. Exercise increased caution in areas north of Kande due to potential for terrorism; and the cities of Sokodé, Bafilo, and Mango due to civil unrest. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Overall Crime and Safety Situation Crime Threats The U.S. Department of State has assessed Lomé as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Criminals may target foreigners based on perceived affluence or perceived vulnerability. Pickpocketing incidents and theft are common in Togo, especially along the beach and in the market areas of Lomé. Review OSAC’s reports, All That You Should Leave Behind. In recent years, violent crime has become increasingly prevalent throughout the country. Incidents have included the use of machetes and knives, firearms, and makeshift weapons, as well as the use of ruses or trickery to lure in a victim. Robbery victims should comply with the demands of perpetrators, as perpetrators may be armed, and resisting may cause the situation to escalate to violence. There have been sophisticated armed robberies, often committed by organized transnational criminal groups. Residential and business burglaries are frequent in Lomé. Crowds sometimes target criminals (real or perceived) for vigilante justice. Review OSAC’s reports, Hotels: The Inns and Outs and Considerations for Hotel Security. There are incidents of carjacking and other violent crimes targeting travelers along roads in Togo, especially outside of major cities. Roadside criminals are more likely to target travelers after dark. Avoid certain areas within Lomé at night, including public beaches and Boulevard du Mono (aka the “beach road”) due to elevated risk of crime. Avoid beach areas with no security apparatus, even during daylight hours; purse-snatchings and muggings regularly occur in these areas. Avoid public beaches and Togo’s border areas with Ghana due to crime. Do not visit the Grand Marché area alone during the day; avoid the area altogether in the evening. Closely monitor surroundings when using ATMs due to the risk of petty theft during and after ATM use. Only use ATMs during the day, and then only in areas with many people and guards around if possible. Review OSAC’s reports, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit. Cybersecurity Issues Cybercrimes continue to be a concern, particularly so-called “419” advance-fee fraud scams that involve fake payoff or fake investment schemes. Perpetrators of business fraud often target foreigners, including U.S. citizens. Formerly associated with Nigeria, these fraud schemes are now prevalent throughout West Africa, including Togo, and pose dangers of financial loss and physical harm. An increasing number of U.S. citizens have been targets of such scams, resulting in losses ranging from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. Typically, fraud scams begin with an unsolicited communication, usually by e-mail or social media, from an unknown individual who describes a situation that promises quick financial gain, often by assisting in the transfer of a large sum of money or valuables out of the country. Other common e-mail scams involve an individual claiming to be a U.S. citizen “trapped” in Togo, usually at the airport, and needs financial assistance to return to the U.S. or receive urgent medical care. Scams that are more sophisticated include targeting U.S. businesses and ordering a large amount of their product, contingent on the U.S. business providing banking information or paying legal fees. Do not send any money; any funds sent are likely unrecoverable. Halt contact with scammers immediately. Do not attempt to recover funds in person. Report the matter immediately to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership among the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White- Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BIA). Refer to the fraud warning and additional resources on the Embassy website for more information. Review OSAC’s reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband? Maritime Issues Piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea continue to trend upwards. Pirates/armed groups operating in the region typically conduct attacks on vessels using automatic weapons. Attacks, kidnappings for ransom, and robbery of crew, passengers, and ship’s property are common. In January 2019, armed perpetrators attacked a container ship after it departed Lomé, approximately 20 nautical miles south of Cotonou, Benin. Pirates kidnapped six crewmembers for ransom. In May 2019, eight armed perpetrators boarded a Togolese-flagged chemical tanker at anchorage off Lomé. The perpetrators boarded the vessel from a wooden canoe to hijack and steal its cargo. Authorities dispatched two patrol boats, which successfully intercepted the tanker approximately 25 nautical miles offshore. The Navy detained the six Nigerians and two Togolese pirates for investigation and criminal processing. In November 2019, armed pirates attacked a Greece-flagged tanker resting in Togo’s territorial waters. The vessel had armed guards from the Togolese military on board at the time of the attack. Armed perpetrators boarded the vessel and engaged in a firefight with the guards. After taking control of the vessel by force, the perpetrators proceeded to seize and remove four crew members from the vessel and take them to Nigeria. One member of the crew later died while in captivity. The kidnappers later released the other three, presumably after payment of ransom. Transportation-Safety Situation Road Safety and Road Conditions While some major thoroughfares in urban parts of Togo are paved, most secondary streets are not. Streets, especially in Lomé, can become flooded and impassable when it rains. Driving conditions are hazardous throughout Togo due to aggressive and poorly trained drivers who are not licensed and often carry loads over their vehicle’s capacity. Avoid driving outside of Lomé after dark; the U.S. Embassy approves such travel for employees in emergencies only. The presence of pedestrians, bicyclists, animals on the road, swarms of motorcycles, and gaping sewer holes and deteriorating pavement make driving both inside Lomé and outside particularly hazardous. Roads outside Lomé are generally in poor condition and often contain deep potholes. There is only one national highway; it runs north-south, connecting Lomé to Ouagadougou, and is the country’s main transit artery. This highway is prone to interruption during anti-government demonstrations, which can turn violent, especially when military or police forces deploy. Overland travel off this highway and the main east-west road connecting Lomé to Accra and Cotonou is usually on unpaved roads and may require four- wheel drive vehicles. Togo also has a mountainous region abutting Ghana with roads that can rise to an altitude of 500 meters within a few kilometers of driving. Traffic signals often do not function properly or are missing from major intersections. If you choose to drive in Togo, observe someone else drive before doing so yourself in order to familiarize yourself with atypical driving practices, including stopping prior to entering a traffic circle. You should be prepared for drivers who run red lights and stop signs, or drive in the wrong direction on one-way streets. Driving can be chaotic, particularly in the crowded city center and in the dense neighborhoods along the Ghanaian border. At official checkpoints, Togolese security officials prefer that you approach with your interior light on, headlights dimmed, and have your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance ready. Carry copies of important documents, such as your passport and driver’s license, to provide to authorities rather than handing over your originals. Never make a “grease payment” or bribe to the police or gendarmes for them to perform their work or to be let go. Be firm and polite, and ask for permission to drive with the arresting officer trailing in his vehicle or motorbike to the nearest police precinct if you cannot reach a resolution on the street. Do not let the officer into your vehicle. Review OSAC’s reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the State Department’s webpage on driving and road safety abroad. Public Transportation Conditions Public buses provide infrequent and unreliable service. Although the U.S. government does not explicitly prohibit employees from using public transportation, it strongly encourages them to avoid doing so due to safety and crime concerns. Public transportation systems do not meet Western safety standards and are generally unsafe. Trains carry freight only. Use of taxis presents numerous safety concerns. Taxi services are unreliable, vehicles are typically old and not in good condition, and drivers do not observe traffic laws. Theft while riding in taxis is common; thieves steal bags, wallets, and passports. Do not share taxicabs with strangers. When using taxis, negotiate fares before getting in, and insist that the driver not stop for additional passengers, even if rates cost more. Embassy personnel may not use motorcycle taxis, which have significantly higher rates of accident, injury, and mortality.