How Togo's Evala tradition creates fearless warriors

Thousands of young Kabye men have gathered in Togo's Kara region for the annual Evala rite of passage, an ancestral tradition that marks the transition to adulthood through wrestling and a series of cultural rituals.

Held every mid-July in northern Togo, the ceremony brings together ethnic Kabye men aged between 18 and 20 as they complete customs passed down through generations. The government is also seeking UNESCO recognition for the tradition as part of the country's intangible cultural heritage.

Before entering the wrestling arena, each participant, known as an "Evalo", receives three small scars near each ear using blades.

The initiates must then perform a ritual dance with a dog until it dies of exhaustion before eating its meat for the first time.

"The dog is a strong, hardy and cunning animal. By eating its meat, the initiate takes on these qualities. In the arena, the one who floors his opponent is the winner," Tchitchao canton chief Achille Samah Bidiwana told AFP.

The wrestling contests pit young men, often from different villages, against one another. Each wrestler looks for an opportunity to bring down his opponent by grabbing an arm or leg, with some bouts ending in heavy falls.

Emergency teams treated injured wrestlers at the venue, while others were taken to nearby hospitals.

Around the arena, supporters urged on the competitors.

"Hold tight, don't let go," one spectator shouted.

"Lock your legs and throw him," another yelled.

"We are great warriors!" supporters sang in the Kabye language.

"Our encouragement helps the wrestlers keep their courage right to the end of the fight," another spectator told AFP.

Although participation is not compulsory, community expectations remain strong.

"We don't force a young Kabye to wrestle, but if he doesn't, especially if he is in good shape, he brings shame on society," said wrestling coach Tchaa Tidiye.

According to Bidiwana, "the standards of our grandparents" do not allow a young man to marry before becoming an Evalo.

"I am very proud," said Nabede Kpatcha, who attended to watch his son compete.

"What my parents showed me, I must pass on to my child and he will also pass it on to his children," he added.

Several senior Togolese officials, including ministers and army officers from the Kara region, have completed the Evala rite.

Among them is former president and current President of the Council of Ministers Faure Gnassingbe, who has been in power since 2005. He attended this year's matches, as he does annually, and addressed the wrestlers in the Kabye language after having completed the rite alongside his father, former president Gnassingbe Eyadema.

"Faure Gnassingbe is considered one of the best wrestlers of his generation," Tidiye said.

Culture Minister Isaac Tchiakpe told AFP that Togo had begun the process of registering Evala on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.

"The Togolese government is determined to see the Evala duly recognised on the international stage," he said.

The annual wrestling festival continues to attract visitors from within Togo and abroad.

"It's a wonderful discovery," said French visitor Sandrine Plathey.

Tourism to northern Togo has, however, been affected in recent years by violence linked to jihadist groups operating in the neighbouring Sahel region.