Togolese government suspends child adoption

The Togolese government Thursday suspended all forms of child adoption because of the dysfunctions noted in the adoption system, an official communique issued on Friday said. The decision, taken during the meeting of the council of ministers, “intends to save the lives and supreme interests of Togolese children, whose security is endangered,” the government communique highlighted. According to the government, adoptions were issued by the tribunals on the basis of “abandonment judgments without any social inquiry”. During the council meeting, President Faure Gnassingbé asked the Minister of Social Actions, Maïmounatou Ibrahima, and of Justice, Kokou Tozoun, to put orderliness in child adoption procedures.