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Togo NEWS MEDIA
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Background: French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe
EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, continued to
rule into the 21st century. Despite the facade of multiparty
elections instituted in the early 1990s, the government
continued to be dominated by President EYADEMA, whose Rally of
the Togolese People (RPT) party has maintained power almost
continually since 1967. Togo has come under fire from
international organizations for human rights abuses and is
plagued by political unrest. While most bilateral and
multilateral aid to Togo remains frozen, the EU initiated a
partial resumption of cooperation and development aid to Togo
in late 2004 based upon commitments by Togo to expand
opportunities for political opposition and liberalize portions
of the economy. Upon his death in February 2005, President
EYADEMA was succeeded by his son Faure GNASSINGBE. The
succession, supported by the military and in contravention of
the nation's constitution, was challenged by popular protest
and a threat of sanctions from regional leaders. GNASSINGBE
succumbed to pressure and in April 2005 held elections that
legitimized his succession. Legislative elections are
scheduled for June 2007.
Borders: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km
Population: 6,145,004
GDP per capita: $343.24 per capita
Capital with population: Lome - 366,476
Largest city with population: Lome - 366,476
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