Sylvanus Olympio
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Sylvanus Epiphanio Olympio (6 September 1902 - 13 January 1963) was a Togolese political figure.
He served as the Prime Minister of Togo from 1958 to 1961 when he held elections to consolidate his power. He then served as the first President of Togo between 1961 and 1963 where he became the first president and prime minister of Togo for his first year in office, obtaining the seats in an election that barred Nicolas Grunitzky's party. Opposition leaders, such as Anani Santos, Antoine Meatchi And Nicolas Gruntitzky were either jailed in Mango prison or exiled to Ghana and Benin. Using "Ablode Sodja" militia the President squashed the political dissident.[citation needed]. See Koffigoh Commission Report, 2005 and Livre Blanc (July 1963), the National Report on political events leading to President Olympio's death. Olympio's allies in the Parliament testified for this report.
During his presidency, Olympio pursued a pro-Western foreign policy. At one point, he visited the United States and had a friendly meeting with President John F. Kennedy. Togo maintained friendly relations with most of its neighbors, but relations with neighboring Ghana and its leader Kwame Nkrumah were consistently poor. Each state supported the other's dissidents.
Olympio was assassinated in a military coup d'état on January 13th. (this comment should be verified) The coup, considered the first African coup d'état, sent shock waves through Africa but the population seemed relieved as there was not demonstration against the coup leaders.
Col. Étienne Eyadéma, a participant in the coup who later assumed the presidency in 1967 and held it until his death in 2005, claimed to have personally fired the shot which killed Olympio. One legend says Olympio was shot after the U.S. embassy refused to open its gates to let him in, as he sought refuge there fleeing from the band of ex-soldiers from the French army led by Eyadéma. According to other sources, however, the head of the group of soldiers was Sergeant Emmanuel Bodjollé and Eyadema was not only not a Colonel at that time, he was not even a sergeant.[citation needed]
The daughter of the then US ambassador, Leon B. Poullada, gives the following description:
"President Olympio was killed in the early morning. He hid from the ex-French army Togolese mercenary soldiers in a car located in the United States Embassy car-fleet. At that time, the US Embassy office was next to the President's residence, sharing a wall in common. The US ambassador (my father) and the US Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) (who is in his mid-90's and has now provided details of what is written here) were alerted in the middle of the night, at about 3:30 a.m., that soldiers had gone into the Embassy office property. My father went to the Embassy office to find out what was going on, and to make sure there was no damage to US Embassy property and that all US Embassy personnell were safe. There were no marine guards at the Embassy then, or any armed security at all, in those far more peaceful times. There were also no cell phones, or even a non-commercial communications system, to make it possible to quickly call for help. My father went to the heavily armed soldiers, who were milling all around the outside of the Embassy office, and ordered them to clear out from the US government property. They laughed at him and threatened him. It was a touch and go situation and my father felt that the soldiers would have no problem with shooting him. He was finally able to get them to agree to move to the street right outside the gate of the embassy office. My father then left to try to get official government help in ordering the soldiers to leave the embassy offices area. He did not open up the US embassy offices to use the phone there, as he was afraid that the soldiers would come in and ransack the offices. When my father returned with the DCM to the embassy offices, shortly before 7:00 a.m., there were still soldiers in the area and they found that a car door to one of the embassy cars was open. President Olympio was lying on the ground by the gate, where he had been shot dead. He was dressed very informally and had no shoes on. Soldiers were in the street and were leaving. The DCM called the terrified (and unarmed) night watchman and they covered and moved President Olympio away from the embassy offices gate. My father then contacted the Togolese Archbishop and requested that he come take charge of President Olympio's remains safely and honorably. President Olympio's assassination was one of the worst and most devastating experiences of my father's years in the US Foreign Service. My father not only deeply admired and even loved Olympio, he considered President Olympio to be one of his mentors in life. Throughout the remainder of my growing up, a very large black framed photo portrait of President Olympio hung in the hall of our house, and it is hanging in the hall of my mother's house to this day. An official report on the events of the assassination, and the events which followed, is on file in US government records, which are currently available. During the period following President Olympio's assassination there was civil unrest. The Togolese government ministers were taken into custody. Soldiers killed others, and many people simply disappeared."
His son, Gilchrist Olympio, is currently the most prominent opposition leader in Togo.
He was succeeded by Emmanuel Bodjollé, head of an "Insurrection Committee" that ruled for only two days after which Nicolas Grunitzky was put in charge.
| Preceded by Nicolas Grunitzky |
Prime Minister of Togo 1958–1961 |
Succeeded by Joseph Kokou Koffigoh |
| Preceded by (none) |
President of Togo 1960–1963 |
Succeeded by Emmanuel Bodjollé |
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