Kléber Dadjo
Encyclopedia
Kléber Dadjo served as Interim President of Togo
in his role as Chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee from 14 January 1967 to 14 April 1967 following the overthrow of President Nicolas Grunitzky
's government.
Col. Kléber Dadjo, was born in Siou on August 12, 1914. He was of the Nawde (or Losso) ethnic and linguistic group. Col. Dadjo served in the British Army
during World War II
and in the French Army
in the Indochina
and Algerian conflicts. At the time of Togo's independence in 1960, he was the longest-serving and highest-ranking
Togolese in the French Army. He held the rank of Captain and commanded Togo's tiny defence force, the Garde Togolaise. He was promoted to Major and eventually to Colonel after the 1963 coup d'état and served as head of the military cabinet of President Nicolas Grunitzky
.
After the second military coup d'état
on January 13, 1967, Dadjo was named interim President of Togo (as Chairman of the Comité National de Reconciliation), a position that he held until April 14, 1967, when Lt. Col. Gnassingbé Etienne Eyadéma was named President. From 1967 through 1968, he served as Minister of Justice and as Chef du Cabinet Militaire de la Présidence de la République.
In 1968, he retired and returned to his home in Siou where he became Chef de Canton. He died in 1988 or 1989. In 2006, Col. Dadjo was recognized by the government of President Faure Gnassingbé
along with former Presidents Sylvanus Olympio
and Nicolas Grunitzky and former Vice-President Antoine Méatchi
as part of a decision to rehabilitate the image of Togo's previous leaders. The former avenue de la Nouvelle Marche in Lomé
was renamed avenue Kléber Dadjo in his honor.
Col. Dadjo is frequently and erroneously identified in print as a Kabyé
rather than a Nawde (or Losso).
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
in his role as Chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee from 14 January 1967 to 14 April 1967 following the overthrow of President Nicolas Grunitzky
Nicolas Grunitzky
Nicolas Grunitzky was the third president of Togo. He was President from 1963 to 1967.-Biography:He was born in Atakpamé to a German father and a Togolese mother. He studied civil engineering at the ESTP in Paris and was a public administrator before leaving to form his own company...
's government.
Col. Kléber Dadjo, was born in Siou on August 12, 1914. He was of the Nawde (or Losso) ethnic and linguistic group. Col. Dadjo served in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and in the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
in the Indochina
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
and Algerian conflicts. At the time of Togo's independence in 1960, he was the longest-serving and highest-ranking
Ranks in the French Army
See Ranks in the French Navy for more details about the Navy Ranks.The ranks in the Armée de Terre :Rank insignia in the French army depend on whether the soldier belongs to an "infantry" or "cavalry" unit...
Togolese in the French Army. He held the rank of Captain and commanded Togo's tiny defence force, the Garde Togolaise. He was promoted to Major and eventually to Colonel after the 1963 coup d'état and served as head of the military cabinet of President Nicolas Grunitzky
Nicolas Grunitzky
Nicolas Grunitzky was the third president of Togo. He was President from 1963 to 1967.-Biography:He was born in Atakpamé to a German father and a Togolese mother. He studied civil engineering at the ESTP in Paris and was a public administrator before leaving to form his own company...
.
After the second military coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
on January 13, 1967, Dadjo was named interim President of Togo (as Chairman of the Comité National de Reconciliation), a position that he held until April 14, 1967, when Lt. Col. Gnassingbé Etienne Eyadéma was named President. From 1967 through 1968, he served as Minister of Justice and as Chef du Cabinet Militaire de la Présidence de la République.
In 1968, he retired and returned to his home in Siou where he became Chef de Canton. He died in 1988 or 1989. In 2006, Col. Dadjo was recognized by the government of President Faure Gnassingbé
Faure Gnassingbé
Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé has been the President of Togo since May 4, 2005. A son of President Gnassingbé Eyadéma, he was appointed to the government by his father, serving as Minister of Equipment, Mines, Posts, and Telecommunications from 2003 to 2005...
along with former Presidents Sylvanus Olympio
Sylvanus Olympio
Sylvanus Epiphanio Olympio was a Togolese political figure who served as Prime Minister, and then President, of Togo from 1958 until his assassination in 1963.-Political career:...
and Nicolas Grunitzky and former Vice-President Antoine Méatchi
Antoine Meatchi
Antoine Meatchi was a Togolese politician. He was Vice President of Togo under Nicolas Grunitzky following the 1963 coup which overthrew Sylvanus Olympio.-References:...
as part of a decision to rehabilitate the image of Togo's previous leaders. The former avenue de la Nouvelle Marche in Lomé
Lomé
Lomé, with an estimated population of 737,751, is the capital and largest city of Togo. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Lomé is the country's administrative and industrial center and its chief port. The city exports coffee, cocoa, copra, and palm kernels...
was renamed avenue Kléber Dadjo in his honor.
Col. Dadjo is frequently and erroneously identified in print as a Kabyé
Kabye
Kabye is the name for both the Kabye or Kabiyé language and peoples of the northern plains of Togo, West Africa. The Kabye are primarily known for farming and cultivation of the stony Kara Valley area of Togo...
rather than a Nawde (or Losso).