Who is Cosmos Akoete Eglo?

Cosmos Akoete Eglo is a Togolese writer, journalist and human rights activist, known in his close entourage as a “writer born to be persecuted”.

Academic and professional profile

Cosmos Akoete Eglo was born on 6 March 1963 in Lomé. In 1971, he enrolled in the Evangelical Presbyterian primary School of Lom-Nava. After obtaining the ‘Certificat d’Études Primaires et Élémentaires’ (Basic Education Certificate) in 1976, he pursued the secondary education in the ‘Collège d’Enseignement Général’ (College of General Education).

In 1981, he graduated from the secondary education with the ‘Brevet d’Études du Premier Cycle’.  He then opted for literature studies in the ‘Lycée de Tokoin’. In 1985, He was graduated as ‘Bachelier en série A’ (Bachelor in Art -literature option-).

In 1987, He enrolled in a private school of journalism in Lomé, and completed the training in 1989.  From 1990 to 1992, he worked as ‘rédacteur en chef’ for a local newspaper called ‘Liberté’.

Writing and human rights activities: “Born to be persecuted!”

In 1992, Cosmos Akoete Eglo was author of set of novels entitled ‘Névrose’ (Nervosa) and poems entitled ‘Le sauteur et la perche’ (The pole-vault jumper and the pole). Unfortunately, these literary works were never published.

In 1993, he founded ‘Association MC’, aiming at promoting rule of law in Togo.

In 1996, he went into self-imposed exile in Ghana.

In 1998, in exile, he founded ‘Universal Peace For Humanity’, a non-governmental organisation that aims at promoting human rights, while he initiated a local group of Amnesty International.

 In 2008, while in exile in Ghana, he reported pressure put on him to renounce the publication of his book. 

 In January 2009, Edilivre, a French publisher, published his first book, ‘Du sang sur le miroir’ (Blood on the mirror).  Unfortunately, in 2011, after stating that their staff was in danger because of the publication of that book, Edilivre stopped publishing it.  Another French publisher, L’Harmattan, republished the book in September 2012.

In April 2012, Cosmos Akoete Eglo landed in Berlin, as scholar of the Writers in Exile program, a project implemented by German PEN, and financed by the German Ministry of culture.

In July 2013, dramatic and persecution-like circumstances led him to flee Germany...