Every Day Is Special: Togo

Showing posts with label Togo. Show all posts

January 24 - Economic Liberation Day in Togo

Posted on January 24, 2018

I have NO idea why this day is supposed to be about economic anything or any sort of liberation...

Instead, it should be called something like "Crash Victim Commemoration Day" or "Amazing Survival Anniversary" or...

Well, let me fill you in:

The small African country of Togo had an awful plane crash on this date in 1974. The plane was a military transport, part of the Togo Air Force (but it was a Douglas C-47 Skytrain that was built in the U.S.). The pilot was French. The four passengers were important political figures and generals from the nation of Togo.

One of the passengers was Étienne Eyadéma, who was then the president of the country.

As the C-47 descended for landing, it crashed!

Tragically, the pilot died, and three of the four passengers died. Eyadéma was lucky enough to survive the crash.

What happened next is sad but human: Eyadéma claimed that the crash was not an accident. He claimed that aircraft had been sabotaged - that the whole incident was a conspiracy by French "imperialists" who wanted to kill him.

I gather that he didn't offer any evidence for this conspiracy theory. He probably thought he didn't have to.

Eyadéma also hinted that his survival of this assassination attempt was due to his own mystical powers, or superhuman strength, or some sort of divine miracle.

Eyadéma changed his first name to Gnassingbé to remember the event.

Eyadéma even raised a monument near the crash site to celebrate his survival (and hopefully also to honor those who died...hopefully!).

By the way, Eyadéma's crashed C-47 was replaced by a new presidential jet that was ALSO damaged beyond repair in ANOTHER fatal accident, that same year. That time Eyadéma was not on board the jet.

When you see powerful people exaggerate their own powers, their own abilities or intelligence or characters, their own specialness, remember that it is insecurity that drives them to brag and fudge details and even to lie.

Here's what Togo's presidents SHOULD be bragging about:

Baobab trees

Natural beauty
and lovely beach properties

The people, of course!

Also on this date:

Global Belly Laugh Day

Physicist Michio Kaku's birthday

National Peanut Butter Day

Pioneer in the study of memory Hermann Ebbinghaus's birthday

Ballerina Maria Tallchief's birthday

Anniversary of gold discovery in California

AND Talk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day

Alasitas Fair in Bolivia

Woodworker / furniture maker Sam Maloof's birthday

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February holidays
February birthdays
Historical anniversaries in February

September 24 – Anniversary of the Failed Attack on Lomé in Togo

Posted on September 24, 2017

Lomé is the capital of the West African nation of Togo.

On this date in 1986, about 50 men attacked a military barracks that served as the home of the then-President of Togo.

They must surely have been trying to either kill or capture President Eyadéma Gnassingbé, but instead security forces captured the dissidents (which means people who try to revolt against a government). Of course, some of the attackers as well as some civilians were killed in the attack.

It seems strange to me to celebrate the anniversary of a failed attack, but perhaps the president wanted to remind his people that attacks against him will fail?

You see, President Gnassingbé was a dictator. He was a military general, and he swooped in with armed forces and grabbed power, named himself president, and ruled over Togo for 38 years!

Gnassingbé died in 2005, but now his son rules and rules and rules. This son has held elections, but every time he wins his opponents complain that the election was rigged - and given the fact that political opponents are often killed, it seems very likely to be true.

Hopefully someday Togo will enjoy democracy.

In the meantime, let's enjoy a bit of Togo:

Lac Togo (Togo Lake)

The Atlantic coast

Markets in Lomé

You know I love waterfalls - and Togo has some nice ones!

Also on this date:

New Caledonia Day

Muppet-creator Jim Henson's birthday

National Day in Guinea-Bissau

Schwenkfelder Thanksgiving

Chief Justice John Marshall's birthday

Anniversary of the establishment of the Supreme Court of the United States

National Punctuation Day

Heritage Day in South Africa

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April 27 – Independence Day in Sierra Leone and Togo

Posted on April 27, 2016

Two West African nations celebrate their independence today.

Here's a difference:

Togo became independent of France on this date in 1960, and Sierra Leone became independent of the United Kingdom on this date in 1961. Because of this difference, Togo's official language is French, and Sierra Leone's is English.

Here's a similarity:

Both countries celebrate in typical ways: speeches by government officials, marches and parades, work holidays and gatherings and banquets.

Here's a difference:

Togo relies mostly on agriculture, but Sierra Leone is rich with mineral wealth, such as diamonds, titanium, bauxite, rutile, and gold. The latter is also blessed with one of the world's largest natural harbors.

Here's a similarity:

A majority of the people in both nations are poor, and life expectancy in both nations is low, people averaging lifetimes of only 56 or 57 years. These sad truths must stem partly from the fact that both nations were ravaged by centuries of slavery and partly from the fact that the governments of both nations have been unstable; Togo suffered from a military coup and 38-year dictatorship, and Sierra Leone suffered from a deadly civil war and the recent Ebola outbreak.

And here are some interesting things to see in Togo and Sierra Leone:

TOGO - Koutammakou, land of the Batammariba, with their two-story mud “tower houses”