Simple directory > Regional > Togo

Country : Togo Official name: République Togolaise (Togolese Republic) Head of State: President Faure Gnassingbé (RPT) (sworn in 4 May 2005) Head of government: Prime Minister Edem Kodjo (sworn in 9 Jun 2005) Ruling party: Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais (RPT) (Rally of the Togolese People) (since 1994; last re-elected Oct 2002) Area: 56,000 square km Population: 5.25 million (2004) Capital: Lomé Official language: French Currency: CFA franc (CFAf) = 100 centimes (Communauté Financière Africaine (African Financial Community) franc). New notes have been issued; old notes cease to be legal tender from Jan 2005. Exchange rate: CFAf507.21 per US$ (Nov 2004); CFAf655.95 per euro (pegged from Jan 1999) GDP per capita: US$265 (2003) GDP real growth: 3.00% (2003) Labour force: 1.74 million (2003) Inflation: -0.60% (2003) Balance of trade: -US$112.00 million (2003) Foreign debt: US$1.40 billion (2003)

Historical profile

1894 The country, then known as Togoland, became a German colony.

1914 Britain and France invaded and captured Togoland.

1922 Togoland was divided between Britain and France under a League of Nations mandate.

1930–50s The division of Togoland split the indigenous Ewe people, which led to the creation of a nationalist movement which demanded the unification of the two territories.

1956 British-ruled Togoland was incorporated into Ghana.

1960 The French section of Togoland gained independence under the leadership of Sylvanus Olympio and was declared a republic.

1962 A proposed referendum on unification with Ghana was blocked by President Olympio.

1963 Olympio was killed in a coup and replaced by Nicolas Grunitzky.

1967 Grunitzky was in turn ousted by Major General Gnassingbé Eyadéma.

1979 Eyadéma stood and won as the sole candidate in the presidential election.

1985 France intervened militarily to support the Eyadéma regime, following an attempted coup.

1991 President Eyadéma agreed to a national conference to pave the way for multi-party elections. The powers of the president were reduced. Joseph Koffigoh became prime minister and head of a transitional government.

1993 After a series of delays, the country's first multi-party presidential elections were held. Eyadéma, standing for the Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais (RPT) (Rally of the Togolese People), was the only candidate.

1994 The RPT won the legislative elections, but needed the support of the Union Togolaise pour la Démocratie (UTD) (Togolese Union for Democracy) to form a majority.

1996 After winning three delayed by-elections, the RPT no longer required UTD's support.

1998 Eyadéma won the presidential election; the official results were contested by the opposition parties and by the UN.

1999 The parliamentary elections were boycotted by all the opposition parties. An independent electoral commission, Commission Electorale Indépendante (CENI), was formed, with equal representation of opposition and government.

2000 The President appointed Messan Agbeyome Kodjo as prime minister after a vote of no-confidence in Eugène Koffi Adogboli's government.

2001 The president dismissed Prime Minister Agbeyome Messan Kodjo and appointed Koffi Sama.

2002 RPT, the ruling party, won the parliamentary elections; the main opposition parties called for a boycott of the elections and did not present any candidates. The president appointed a new cabinet. The constitution was amended allowing another term of office for President Eyadéma.

2003 Incumbent Gnassingbé Eyadéma won the presidential elections.

2004 In May, students and police clashed at the University of Lomé after the students tried to hold an unauthorised meeting; the university was closed by the education minister.

2005 President Gnassingbé Eyadéma died on 5 February. The armed forces conferred power on Faure Gnassingbé, the late president's son. After international pressure, Faure Gnassingbé stepped down and Abass Bonfoh took over as interim president until elections. Faure Gnassingbé of the ruling RPT won the presidential elections on 24 April against Emmanuel Bob Akitani of the opposition Union des Forces de Changement (UFC) (Union of Forces for Change); the opposition disputed the results and there were violent protests in the streets of the capital, Lomé. The Constitutional Court confirmed the election of Faure Gnassingbé as president and he was sworn in on 4 May. Edem Kodjo was sworn in as prime minister on 9 June.

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