Gnassingbé Eyadéma Biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Gnassingbé Eyadéma
OCCUPATION: Military Leader, World Leader
BIRTH DATE: December 26, 1935
DEATH DATE: February 05, 2005
PLACE OF BIRTH: Pya, Togo
Full Name: Etienne Gnassingbé Eyadéma

Best Known For

Gnassingbé Eyadéma became president of Togo via a bloodless coup to oust President Nicolas Grunitzky and then founded the Assembly of the Togolese People.

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Etienne Gnassingbé Eyadéma

APA Style

Etienne Gnassingbé Eyadéma. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 10:49, May 25, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/gnassingb%C3%A9-eyad%C3%A9ma-9290279.

Harvard Style

Etienne Gnassingbé Eyadéma. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/gnassingb%C3%A9-eyad%C3%A9ma-9290279 [Accessed 25 May 2013].

MLA Style

"Etienne Gnassingbé Eyadéma." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 25 2013, 10:49 http://www.biography.com/people/gnassingb%C3%A9-eyad%C3%A9ma-9290279.

MHRA Style

"Etienne Gnassingbé Eyadéma," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/gnassingb%C3%A9-eyad%C3%A9ma-9290279 [accessed May 25, 2013].

Chicago Style

"Etienne Gnassingbé Eyadéma," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/gnassingb%C3%A9-eyad%C3%A9ma-9290279 (accessed May 25, 2013).

CBE/CSE Style

Etienne Gnassingbé Eyadéma [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 25] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/gnassingb%C3%A9-eyad%C3%A9ma-9290279.

Bluebook Style

Etienne Gnassingbé Eyadéma, http://www.biography.com/people/gnassingb%C3%A9-eyad%C3%A9ma-9290279 (last visited May 25, 2013).

AMA Style

Etienne Gnassingbé Eyadéma. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/gnassingb%C3%A9-eyad%C3%A9ma-9290279. Accessed May 25, 2013.

Synopsis

Gnassingbé Eyadéma was born in Pya, Togo. He joined the French army in 1953. Returning to Togoland in 1962 he became army commander-in-chief (1965). Two years later he led a bloodless coup to oust President Nicolas Grunitzky. He banned all political activity until he had founded a new organization, the Assembly of the Togolese People, as the only legal party.

Profile

Togolese soldier and president (1967??2005), born in Pya, Togo. He joined the French army in 1953 and experienced extensive foreign service, attaining the rank of sergeant. Returning to Togoland in 1962 he became army commander-in-chief (1965). Two years later he led a bloodless coup to oust President Nicolas Grunitzky. He banned all political activity until he had founded a new organization, the Assembly of the Togolese People, as the only legal party. Although there were several attempts to overthrow him, he began to introduce a degree of democracy into the political system, and a multi-party system was instituted in 1992. He was elected president in 1994, although all the major opposition parties boycotted the election, and again in 1998, this time against credible opposition. A boycott of parliamentary elections, however, remained. At his death, the country's constitution was amended to allow his son, Faure Gnassingbé, to take over as president and rule unchallenged until 2008, but strong international opposition forced his withdrawal pending elections (April 2005). He was confirmed the winner by Togo' Constitutional Court.