Togo

Togo
1960 independence from France.
1961 Sylvanus Olympio is first president.
1962 Olympio dissolves opposition parties.
Many opposition members, including Grunitzky, flee country to avoid arrest.
1963 President Olympio assassinated in uprising of army non-commissioned officers. The next day Nicholas
Grunitzky returns from exile as prime minister and then is elected president.
1966 Unsuccessful attempts to overthrow Grunitzky.
1967 Lt. Colonel Etienne Eyadema (later “General Gnassingbe Eyadema”)
ousts Grunitzky in coup.
1967–2004 37 years 1973
[NOTE: In 1963 Eyadema personally killed Togo's first President Olympio.]
1980 Eyadema orders portraits of himself wearing angel wings displayed in all government and private offices
throughout nation.
1986 Unsuccessful armed attempt to overthrow Eyadema.
1990 Court trial of students who handed out antigovernment leaflets sparks violent riots lasting many months.
1991 Army attacks prime minister's office and captures Prime Minister.
1992 Opposition leader Gilchrist Olympio, son of the slain president Sylvanus Olympio, is ambushed and seriously
wounded by army that is also holding legislature hostage.
General strike lasting months results in severe damage to economy.
1993 Security forces fire on peaceful demonstrators killing many.
1993 Togolese dissident commandos attack military camp and try unsuccessfully to kill President Eyadema. Many
casualties. Lethal reprisals by military against soldiers associated with attackers.
1993 Eyadema reelected in boycotted election.
1994 Military rampage firing indiscriminately and killing civilians. 300,000 Togolese flee country.
1994 Another dissident commando attack on military. President Eyadema unhurt. Military kill hundreds of civilians.
1998 Eyadema reelected. Citizens are harassed and their right to vote restricted.
2002 Eyadema changes constitution so he could run for "unlimited" number of terms.
2003 He is reelected with widespread vote rigging.
February 4, 2005, President Gnassingbe Eyadema dies. Military immediately swear in as President Faure Gnassingbe,
the late President Eyadema's son.
February 25, 2005, Due to international sanctions, Faure Gnassingbe steps down.
April 2005 Faure Gnassingbe becomes president in violent election with widespread vote tampering.
Togo’s living standards became worse each year of his father’s 37 years as president.





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