Togolese Conflicts (1946 - )

Since gaining its independence from France in 1960, Togo was ruled by various authoritarian regimes that at times harshly suppressed any political opposition. Although opposition parties were legalised and a democratic constitution introduced in the early 1990s, election tampering and the suppression of opposition under the rule of the military commander Gnassingbe Eyadema remained common. Protests over rigged elections lead to the killing of hundreds in 1998, resulting in several internationally backed mediation efforts. After Gnassingbe Eyadema died after 38 years of rule in 2005, his son Faure Gnassingbe took over and re-won the presidency in questionably free elections shortly thereafter.