Emmanuel Bodjollé

Emmanuel Bodjollé (born 1928) was Chairman of the nine-member Insurrection Committee that overthrew the government of Togolese President Sylvanus Olympio on 13 January 1963.^[1]

Bodjollé, a former master-sergeant in the French army,^[2] had been among a group of around 300 soldiers who on discharge from the French services had not been integrated into the Togolese army.^[3] He led a conspiracy of around thirty other former non-commissioned officers, who arrested the ministers of Olympio's government. The coup saw former president Olympio shot dead at the gate of the US embassy compound by Etienne Eyadéma, later known as Gnassingbé Eyadéma, a later president of Togo.^[4]

Bodjollé's coup installed Nicolas Grunitzky as Togolese leader.^[3]

References

1. "Togo power held by disgruntled former soldiers". Hartford Courant. 15 January 1963.
2. Adebajo, Adekeye (2004). West Africa's security challenges: building peace in a troubled region. Lynne Rienner. p. 147. ISBN 1-58826-284-7.
3. Onwumechili, Chuka (1998). African democratization and military coups. Greenwood. p. 53. ISBN 0-275-96325-X.
4. "Death at the gate". Time. 25 January 1963.