Why France plotted the assassination of Sylvanus Épiphanio Olympio Togo`s first president

Olympio’s death has been documented as the first death during a military coup in Africa. Witnesses have testified. Documents have been declassified but Will we ever know the truth?
Also, his assassination opened flood gates to countless coups on the continent amounting to over 200 as well as high-profile political assassinations among which included Thomas Sankara, Haile Selassie, Abubakar Mustafa Balewa, Sarduna of Sokoto among other leaders shook Africa.
In this episode of Afristory, we look at the First-ever presidential assassination in Africa of Sylvanus Épiphanio Olympio why was he assassinated, Who killed him, and what was the aftermath for Togo and the continent? To answer all this we need to go back in time. #dictatorship #africa #coups

[@daisyamdany6817]

Imagine how this story has been erased. Thank you so much for bringing it to us. This is the first time I am even hearing of such an event in Togo. Oh Africa 😓

[@patrickjohnson4656]

This history has never been erased. The records are there, have always been there. It's no one's fault that you have not been researching and reading African history.

[@markkorste2707]

@@patrickjohnson4656 👍

[@kanyegang2810]

@@patrickjohnson4656 that was mean no one person will know everything

[@patrickjohnson4656]

@@kanyegang2810 No, it wasn't. If the person had simply said, "I didn't know of this piece of African history", then your claim that my response was mean would have merit. However, the person chose to first tell a lie, insinuating a cover-up of the story! She began by saying in her very first sentence, "Imagine how this story has been erased", which is NOT true. That is why I had to be that blunt in my response.

[@mwebazegilbert2008]

​@@kanyegang2810You're deluded!

[@ifecodimkpa4184]

African continent still in heavy bondage of Europeans. How can Africa move away from this bondage?

[@Magumbo58]

we can't stand on our own, we are not even united as Africans. If it's not Europe it's China, holding us down...bcoz we allow it.

[@hortenseclarke2589]

Ifeco Dimkpa: Africans should learn their history; and take pride in who they are, and move towards self reliance. Africans should learn to do things for themselves.

[@vastpeople9623]

Start with smaller things, Harmonized African communication language, research and consume your products and more.

[@vastpeople9623]

Every produce should be exported at premium and lands owed by Africans. Continental mandontary development fund from every minerals exported.

[@bobbykibe8693]

Present day former French colonies are independent only on paper. They are still remotely controlled from Paris.

[@jibrinebang]

I was born and raised in 🇹🇬, never heard this version of events, thanks for the lesson

[@foodfreak6740]

Yes they never included this in our educational system..our wicked leaders

[@GrailArmattoe-2424]

They will make sure to remove it from our text because they are still in control of Togo

[@aledjohope]

My beloved country Togo is and will always be proud of its first president Sylvanus Olympio. There were mistakes that were made at that time but the ultimate goal of a free and truly independent country is undeniable. We brought the first sorrow to Africa's independence, and we will bring the first unification of the continent, our motherland. Mark my words. United for the same good deeds, the fight will continue, and we shall overcome.

[@mwebazegilbert2008]

How far with the unification?

[@jeanodadalmeida2785]

Yes! You finally made a video about our beloved president Sylvanus Olympio. A visionary leader with revolutionary ideas. Thank you for making this video so that millions of young Africans can know more about him and be inspired. Again, thank you! From a proud Togolese.

[@Nguyen2-t9p]

Funny how "free countries" don't talk about this

[@heraldloshi1864]

Just confirming from this well informing documentary.That ,governing in Africa requires a heavy dose of delicate balancing. That begs the question. Did we really attain our independence? And how do we get out of this invisible shackles, that are turning out to be more lethal than direct colonisation?

[@justinamusyoka4986]

Africans do not realise when an hidden hand is playing behind our backs to make brother kill his brother. This kind of independence was faked on paper.

[@heraldloshi1864]

@@justinamusyoka4986 👍🏽True.

[@chendaforest]

We can do it only by taking responsibility for our own failures, and by learning from other countries, especially Asia. Just look what Japan and Singapore have achieved with no natural resources and bad geography. But it will take a huge cultural shift on our part to do them same.

[@2005christian1994]

​@@chendaforest maybe it's the lack of natural resources that saved them. Africa is the richest continent, that's why we have and those problems, even Asians are in Africa now, to get a piece of the cake. Hopefully new generations that have had the chance to go to the sake schools as westerners will take over and do a better job than the like of Houphouet Boigny, Paul Biya, Omar Bongo, all those greedy presidents that worked for westerners.

[@askyalumumba3573]

This should be a part of the curriculum for schools all over Africa.

[@justinamusyoka4986]

Africa should grow up and stop such assassinations.

[@jumpingman6612]

Wonderful channel, thanks for all the videos and the interesting topics!

[@AFRISTORYNETWORK]

Glad you like them!

[@marggie104davi5]

Thanx so much for this history.I have been waiting and looking for it for a long time.All the people I asked new not much.THANKS SO MUCH! NOW I KNOW.GOD BLESS U! AKPE LOOOOO.

[@fomusoemmanuel6879]

Thank you for the insightful documentary! Really sad history of the African continent.

[@ahmetbakisenayl3950]

Great work!!! There is so much hidden facts that need to be learned and remembered!! 👏👏👏

[@AFRISTORYNETWORK]

Thanks

[@jamesbedukodjograham5508]

This is a great Video and it tells us that Africa has never really had Political Independence because the Western World especially The UK and France have always disturbed the normal make up of African Nations. This Political situation has led to some assasination Attempts and Problems. God bless Africa and God lead our Leaders Forward.

[@zsac18]

You do know its those very leaders are the reasons why Africa is in the place its in. Kleptocrats overthrowing kleptocrats since 1960 and using the UK and France (colonialism as a whole) as an excuse to divert the attention away from the fact they are funnelling the taxpayer's money into their swiss bank accounts

[@justinamusyoka4986]

Sell outs.How shall we progress if a former colonizer join hands with dissidents and plan coups over and over.

[@MsScarygoat]

#NoMore

[@letstalkafrica4072]

Olympio shall be properly honored the day that this dictatorship of eyademas in Togo shall fail down

[@DaisyGeekyTransGirl]

It feels so strange hearing about an era of Togo without a member of the Gnassingbe family in charge.

[@abdul-latifmohammed2166]

Beautiful. Very strange isn’t it?

[@abdul-latifmohammed2166]

How I wish you could document all this in writing for us to buy and read. Like a book

[@Burner_Acc]

I'm so glad you're back 😊 how can I support the channel?

[@AFRISTORYNETWORK]

Please share our content and invite others to share and subscribe too.. That way you are supporting the channel.

[@Burner_Acc]

@@AFRISTORYNETWORK I already do that. You don't accept monetary support? You're putting too much work to make these videos our support is just our appreciation to you.

[@Robert-vy5sc]

You take time to make video but you make good and clear video with full i formation .thanks for good quality content

[@AFRISTORYNETWORK]

Thank you for appreciating.

[@jamesbedukodjograham5508]

This is a great Video as well a Sad video about our beautiful Neighhour Togo.

[@AFRISTORYNETWORK]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@AmehaviePaul]

Thanks a lot for this video. I still love my country Togo and God bless Togolese all over the world. Let us build ur country together.

[@Robert-vy5sc]

Thanks soo much sir.Help and get for us information about Thomas Sankra the former president of Burkina faso who were also assassinated

[@hassansidibe5208]

As long as one is against the french they will always get ride of you

[@purpleplant9515]

Great content

[@dewittbourchier7169]

When will get the rest of the Ethiopia documentary? I cannot wait to find out more about the odd and frenetic dictatorship that was the Derg.

[@aart-janmoerkerke9981]

Hello afrihistory I very much enjoy your videos and learn a lot from them, could you put the audio of these videos on apple podcast so I can listen to them on my way to work more easily? Thank you very much

[@AFRISTORYNETWORK]

We are working on a podcast that will dive deep into these stories where we shall discuss whatever we missed in the storiesm

[@aart-janmoerkerke9981]

@@AFRISTORYNETWORK oh that’s great !

[@kwadjooppong6575]

I only met an African brother from Togo just yesterday who educated me of Olympio in Berlin during an Africa forum . We have a very bad history to tell our children which require alot of wisdom to do that inoder not to also instill hatred into our children aswell.. God help Africa.

[@kwabenaotupiri4656]

Well done.

[@gnzone8003]

U don't know how many times I checked for your new videos without getting any

[@hakimdiwan5101]

Dude just subscribe it whenever they will upload new video you will be notified 😑

[@becomingss9379]

You sound ungrateful for all the videos already posted.

[@HispleMedia]

This is great.... I hv worked on this story too... It's unfortunate that he died not long after fighting for his country's freedom.

[@2005christian1994]

I recently learned about this story from Alain Foka's Archives d'Afrique. It was a discovery for me.

[@anthonysavio3875]

Ssebo webale kutuwereza bwino ono. Ndi musanyufu nyo....njakugulira ki Ssekoko nga nkulabyeko..

[@heraldloshi1864]

I doubt if it would have made any difference,had he integrated the former French soldiers. Their loyalty would belong to France,and not Togo.Mutinies would be the order of the day.Had he been your typical politician,he would have given them false hopes of integration.While slowly identifying, those ones whom he could work with,and appoint them to less threatening military commissions.It would act as a perfect divide and rule approach, in order to sustain the fragile peace in the country.

[@jibrinebang]

It may have bought him some time to come up with a plan. Western involvement/influence in Africa is the common factor in these cases

[@heraldloshi1864]

@@jibrinebang He could have switched loyalty to say America, and thus have one power watching his back.That way,he would have ended up building a new security infrastructure, under bilateral arrangements, that could easily mitigate,against possible French interference, or manipulation.

[@aart-janmoerkerke9981]

It is always wise to fire your whole army

[@pyatisololo2534]

Thank you very much for this wonderful documentary, it's very informative. By the way, you sound like the Ugandan analyst called Fazir Mayanja, are you the one?

[@AFRISTORYNETWORK]

Glad you enjoyed it! Am not fazir but i follow him and i like his work alot too

[@collins1231]

The downfall of Togo is not because of Nkrumah, but rather France. If all francophone countries don't breakaway from the French they will never progress

[@laisphinto6372]

sure france was to blame but that Nkrumah wasnt innocent in that after all none of the modern european colonial meddling is done with their hands but with middlemen

[@christisgodd]

How can you run a country without army

[@dooldahpractor-one7605]

How can you watch a video without listening? "Togo couldn't afford it". Sylvanus OLYMPIO was a great economist, that's the reason why he wanted to negotiate a defense agreement with ex colonial power.

[@christisgodd]

@@dooldahpractor-one7605 but he doesn't want France

[@dooldahpractor-one7605]

@@christisgodd He doesn't want France on the long run... That's the meaning of his statement about the relationship with France.

[@christisgodd]

@@dooldahpractor-one7605 There is no way he can do without France

[@dooldahpractor-one7605]

@@christisgodd This is your opinion and it is yours alone. But if that were the case, France would never have organised his assassination

[@unhater5253]

👍🏻

[@scethafrica8471]

So Kwamé Kruma our great is not so imnocent? This means which must question all leaders who kept in live instead of those murdered

[@elizabethpotakey5755]

God bless you

[@AFRISTORYNETWORK]

You to bless

[@johnroach1101]

African need to recognise t hemselfs as black africans and put there ethnic (tribal )second althought keeping there culture

[@dossube]

I would like to know how the Ewe people feel today having joined Ghana from the British Togoland, instead of joining Togo?

[@jamalrobinson2159]

Someone will have to pay...for the innocent blood...that they shed everyday, children Mark my words...Bob Marley...

[@mwebazegilbert2008]

😢🥺

[@RenaldoMckenzie]

This resembles the Haitian situation and all the situations where post independent countries weren't supposed to rival their former masters and they were so supposed to continue the interests of the former master, where that fails, they use strategy, debt, war, force, coups etc to assassinate or kidnap that country's leaders such s Jean Betrande Aristide. I talk about this on my Podcast The NeoLiberal Round and in my new books Neoliberalism, Globalization, Income Inequality, Poverty and Resistance" and the upcoming new book Neoliberal Globalization reconsidered, Neo-Capitalism and the death of nations. I will teach a colleges class on Caribbean thought and will sure share this video with my students.

[@swimmingmantis22]

He made the right choice. A hard place but the right choice.

[@MsScarygoat]

#NoMore

[@KK-so1zd]

This is so sad.

[@DaisyGeekyTransGirl]

2:00 2020 and then they changed their mind and there’s a small scale rebellion there now.

[@michaelkinoti1387]

Very sad

[@JohnDoe-wv2tk]

*There is no God but The One God, Allah. The most beautiful names belong to Him and He has No children He is omnipotent and Benevolent. He is/was not a child of no/any one; there is No existence like Him...He is distinct from any one or anything...He is God, The One God, your God, my God....He commands and resides and judge over the Day of Judgement...The Merciful....The Greatest...The Sublime. All praise belong to Him.

[@christiansimon3749]

The cowards in France 😢

[@atte1653]

Why would he not want military you need it you got colonized because you couldn’t defend yourself

[@holamartin9879]

Wrong statement

[@mindominawa9026]

Brother you're wrong about nkruma remember nkruma was trying to unite the whole of Africa he his not interested in taking lands that was why he was even overthrown

[@christopherheflide523]

You told you that? Nkrumah was instrumental in his dead. Because he never wanted the unification of the Togolands. Thus Volta and Togo

[@mindominawa9026]

@@christopherheflide523rubbish, do you really know history or you're just another togoness

[@letstalkafrica4072]

My dear he is right... We aren't here to blindly support our country icons but we are here to follow the truth and that was the Truth... I'm a togolese who knows properly my true history not the fake one taught to you people maybe

[@dooldahpractor-one7605]

Nkrumah stated that Togo is an apendice that must be intagrated to Ghana... Both of them wanted to reunite Africa, but not the same way. Olympio was part of the Monrovia group (panafricanist political movment) and Nkrumah was part of the Casablanca group. Monrovia group in wich Aïle Selassie was, wanted progressive approach based on economical & structural convergence criterias. While the Casablanca group wanted immediat union and Nkrumah planed to proclaim himself president of the United States of Africa. Thats the reason why Olympio called Nkrumah a black imperialist and also called the members of Casablanca group "gangsters". It seems that you still have a lot to learn about History.

[@mindominawa9026]

@@dooldahpractor-one7605 here's one of nkruma's quote, a man trying to unite the continent does not have time for a peace of land ok! Never before in history has such a sweeping fervor for freedom expressed itself in great mass movements which are driving down the bastions of empire. This wind of change blowing through Africa, as I have said before, is no ordinary wind. It is a raging hurricane against which the old order cannot stand [...] The great millions of Africa, and of Asia, have grown impatient of being hewers of wood and drawers of water, and are rebelling against the false belief that providence created some to be menials of others. Hence the twentieth century has become the century of colonial emancipation, the century of continuing revolution which must finally witness the total liberation of Africa from colonial rule and imperialist exploitation

[@christopherheflide523]

By Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, France and Britain

[@bilongozola1574]

E. Gnassingbé était juste un soldat, mais au solde des intérêt français (Indochine, Algerie). Quand Fanon aidait les Algeriens pour l'indépendence, en face de lui il y'avait E. Gnassingbé. Pas de sens Nationaliste, aucune vision politique à long terme. Il remplissait toutes les cases pour être adoubé par franceafrique dont il a été le serviteur.

[@successfulpeople]

I didn't hear you mention any African language, are you suffering from inferiority complex? Are African languages not worthy languages?

[@zakfarah5949]

Shut your mouth