VI: The Illegitimate Dictator: Faure Gnassingbé Quiz

Answer: Togo

Faure became President of Togo on May 4th, 2005. He had also served as Togo's president from February 5th to 25th that year, having been inaugurated to "ensure stability" after his father died. This was not constitutional, as the Constitution of Togo states that the president of the National Assembly will become President after a President's death. Fambaré Ouattara Natchaba was the President of the National Assembly at the time, but he was visiting Benin at the time, and couldn't return to Togo because the army had closed the borders.

These actions were severely condemned by the international community, which regarded them as a coup d'etat.

Answer: Abass Bonfoh

Bonfoh was President of Togo from February 25th, 2005 to May 4th, 2005. He became president after Faure Gnassingbé resigned, due to intense pressure from other countries. Bonfoh was First Vice-President of the National Assembly, and after Faure resigned he was elected President of the National Assembly, making him the acting President of Togo.

Answer: Lacs Prefecture

Lacs Prefecture is the easternmost prefecture in Togo, and is in the Maritime Region of Togo. Aného is the prefecture's seat. Faure was born on June 6th, 1966 in Afagnan, Togo, in Lacs Prefecture. His father was Gnassingbé Eyadéma, his mother was Séna Sabine Mensah.

Answer: Lomé

Lomé is the capital of Benin, and borders the Gulf of Guinea in southern Togo. Lomé is the largest city in Togo, and has an estimated population of 737,751. The University of Lomé is located in the city, and The British School of Lomé. The Ewe people created the city sometime in the 1700s.

Answer: The Sorbonne

The Sorbonne usually means the University of Paris. While Faure was a student there he majored in financial business management. Also, in Washington D.C. he got a Master of Business Administration degree at the George Washington University.

Answer: December

Faure Gnassingbé was 35 years old at the time, and according to Togolese opposition parties, the constitution was amended to allow Faure to become president. Gnassingbé Eyadéma, Faure's father, accomplished the change.

Answer: Blitta

He was elected in the October 2002 Togolese parliamentary elections. Faure was also the head of the privatization commission in the National Assembly. Faure also was also Minister of Mines and Telecommunications from July 29, 2003 to February 5th, 2005.

Answer: Emmanuel Bob-Akitani

The election was held on April 24th, 2005, and Faure won with a little more than 60% of the votes. It was a very violent election, and in Lomé strong violence broke out after the outcome was made public. The main opposition party was the Union of Forces for Change, and at the time of the 2005 election Emmanuel Bob-Akitani was its vice-president. Emmanuel won 38.1% of the vote in the 2005 election.

The opposition claimed the election was rigged.

Answer: Rally of the Togolese People

The party was created in 1969 by Gnassingbé Eyadéma. Faure began to head the party after Eyadéma's death on February 5th, 2005. The RPT has been the ruling party of Togo since 1969. During the October 2007 parliamentary election in Togo, the RPT took 50 out 81 National Assembly seats.

Answer: Jean-Pierre Fabre

The election was held on March 4th, 2010. Faure was re-elected as the president of Togo with 61% of the votes. Jean-Pierre Fabre lagged behind with 34% of the votes, as the candidate for the UFC, the Union of Forces for Change. The UFC criticized the election, claiming fraud and protesting openly in Lomé.