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Vol 54 No 3

Published 1st February 2013


Togo

Olympio’s legacy

The feud between the descendants of Togo’s first President and those of his assassin is as old as the nation – and still ongoing

The 50th anniversary on 13 January of the assassination of Togo’s first President, Sylvanus Olympio, passed while several important events in Lomé played down the landmark day. On that date in 1963, Gnassingbé Eyadéma shot Olympio dead and four years later took complete power for himself until his death in 2005 as Africa’s longest-serving head of state. Only a semi-détente exists between the Olympio and Gnassingbé families, who have dominated Togo’s politics.

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