Gnassingbé Eyadéma

Gnassingbe Eyadema was born in 1935 in the Kara Region of Togo (then under French rule). His family were poor peasants of the Kara tribe. 
The French army provided a route for his ambitions. He joined in 1953 after primary school. He fought in both the Indochina War and the Algerian War of Independence. He returned to Togo in 1962. Togo had received its independence from France in 1960. In 1963 he led a coup d'etat that installed Nicolas Grunitskly as president. Four years later he replaced Grunitsky by another bloodless coup d'etat.
Eyadema continued as president for 38 years through a combination of factors:
• - backing from France
• - loyalty of the army
• - loyalty of his own party, Rally of the Togolese People (RPT)
• - loyalty of the his own Kara people
• - a cult of personality.
• - manipulation of every effort to have a free and fair election.

He ruled a one party state where opposition was not tolerated. In 1979 the country was returned to civilian rule, but there was still only one party capable of being elected. During his rule he was threatened by assassination attempts.
But the army remained steadfast.

In 1974 he survived a plane crash. He claimed to be the only survivor,   suggesting divine intervention. But there is clear evidence that there were other survivors. Having survived an assassination attempt he took the bullet that failed to kill him and used it as an amulet. He travelled around the country accompanied by a troupe of 1,000 female dancers/singers who praised. There were portraits and statues distributed around the country. Comic books treated him like a superhero.

A national conference in 1991 recommended his removal from power, but he held on with the support of the army. When elections finally did take place, Eyadema always won, always accompanied by accusations of irregularities at the  ballot boxes. In 2002 the constitution was amended to remove the limit on the number of terms a president could sit. Eyadema could serve yet another term.

Given the longevity of his reign Eyadema had a high international profile. He claimed to be a friend of French president, Jacques Chirac. He visited Ronald Reagan in the White House. He was chairman of the Organisation of African Unity.

He died in 2005 in Tunisia from a heart condition and he was succeeded  by his son.