Gnassingbe Eyadéma

Eyadéma, Gnassingbe

 

(also Etienne Eyadéma). Born 1935 in Pya, Lama Kara District. State figure of Togo; general (1967). From 1953 to 1962, Eyadéma served in the French Army in In dochina, Algeria, Niger, and Dahomey (since 1975, Benin). In January 1963 he took part in the military coup d’etat that over threw President Olympio. In 1965 he became a lieutenant colonel and was appointed chief of staff of the Togolese armed forces. Eyadéma headed a new military coup d’etat in January 1967. Since April 1967 he has been president, head of the government, and minister of defense. Eyadéma is the chairman of the ruling and only party in the country, the Togolese Popular Rally (founded 1969).