Togo, 1991 — military coup attempt

Event Summary

On or around 8 October 1991, a week after seizing the broadcast station, soldiers loyal to President Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo made an unsuccessful attempt to kidnap the transitional prime minister Joseph Kokou Koffigoh, escalating the military campaign to reverse the democratic transition. Koffigoh had been installed by the August 1991 national conference with full executive powers and the task of steering Togo to multiparty elections, while Eyadema was reduced to a ceremonial role but kept the army's loyalty. This attempt to seize Koffigoh by force failed, but it was followed by protests and violence in which about four people were reported killed.

The kidnapping attempt was part of the rolling pressure that Eyadema's armed backers applied against the transitional government through the autumn of 1991, steadily undermining Koffigoh's authority. The campaign would culminate weeks later, in a full assault involving tanks and machine guns that captured Koffigoh at his residence in December, after which Eyadema clawed back power. Koffigoh survived this October attempt but his position grew steadily weaker as the army pressed its advantage.