Riot police disperse Togo demo

Police in the West African state of Togo have fired tear-gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators calling for the release of the main opposition leader, Yawovi Agboyibo.

Mr Agboyibo was sentenced to six months in jail last week for defamation and spreading false stories about the Togolese Prime Minister, Messan Agbeyome Kodjo.

After opposition activists called for mass protests today, the Interior Minister, Sizing Walla, imposed a ban on demonstrations.

Riot police were deployed from the early hours outside the headquarters of the opposition Committee of Action for Renewal CAR in the capital, Lome, and took action when protestors began to gather.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service