The Director of Religious Affairs in Togo, Bédiani Belei, has recently announced a series of measures aimed at addressing noise disturbances and sound pollution issues that have accumulated in the country’s places of worship. According to a statement released on September 9, 2023, these measures emphasize strict compliance with existing laws and regulations, particularly regarding excessive noise.
Henceforth, the leaders of places of worship are required to rigorously adhere to noise levels permitted by regulations. Bells, loudspeakers, and other instruments used during religious ceremonies must not exceed 60 decibels during the day and 50 decibels at night. Any violations of these provisions expose the leaders of places of worship to sanctions, including fines and administrative closures.
The statement also specifies the official worship days, Sundays for Christian denominations and Fridays for Muslim denominations. Weekday celebrations are prohibited, and it is required to obtain prior authorization for mobile preaching that disrupts neighborhoods and streets. The calls to prayer by the muezzin are now only allowed in major neighborhood mosques, and funeral prayer vigils in places of worship must end no later than 8:00 PM.
These measures are in response to serious health issues, including cases of chronic illnesses and deaths related to neighborhood disturbances caused by noisy religious celebrations. Local authorities, gendarmerie brigades, and police stations have been tasked with intervening in the event of noisy celebrations, with the possibility of confiscating sound equipment and other musical instruments, as highlighted in the statement.
