On 5 September Komlan Mally resigned as prime minister of Togo. He had been appointed on 3 December 2007.

The new PM is Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, who was previously Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Assistant Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa.

Prime Minister Mally was appointed after the 2007 elections when the ruling Rassemblement du peuple togolais (RPT) party won 50/81 seats in parliament. Recently, the government has been criticised for the economic situation. Prime Minister Houngbo has a reputation as a technocrat from his time at the UN. He also has a qualification in accountancy. He is not a party person, but he is close to President Faure Gnassingbé. Presumably, he will reassure Togo’s international donors.

The next presidential election is due around April 2010.