1974 Togo presidential C-47 crash: Difference between revisions
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Eyadéma claimed the aircraft had been sabotaged after he had reneged on an agreement with a French company over the use of a [[phosphate]] mine.<ref name=village/> Eyadéma attributed his survival to mystical powers and declared 24 January to be "Economic Liberation Day."<ref name=village/> Eyadéma even changed his first name from Étienne to Gnassingbé to remember the date of the day he survived the crash.<ref>{{cite book|title=Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations|year=1984|work=[[University of Michigan]]|publisher=Worldmark Press}}</ref> |
Eyadéma claimed the aircraft had been sabotaged after he had reneged on an agreement with a French company over the use of a [[phosphate]] mine.<ref name=village/> Eyadéma attributed his survival to mystical powers and declared 24 January to be "Economic Liberation Day."<ref name=village/> Eyadéma even changed his first name from Étienne to Gnassingbé to remember the date of the day he survived the crash.<ref>{{cite book|title=Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations|year=1984|work=[[University of Michigan]]|publisher=Worldmark Press}}</ref> |
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Following the incident, a monument was established by the Togolese government near the crash site. The monument features a statue of Eyadéma standing tall on top of a plinth, flanked by images of his generals who died in the crash.<ref>{{cite web|title=Photo and description of monument |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/julio_/10203183 |work= |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iiKhUXVT?url=http |
Following the incident, a monument was established by the Togolese government near the crash site. The monument features a statue of Eyadéma standing tall on top of a plinth, flanked by images of his generals who died in the crash.<ref>{{cite web|title=Photo and description of monument |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/julio_/10203183 |work= |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5iiKhUXVT?url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/julio_/10203183 |archivedate=2009-08-01 |deadurl=no |accessdate=2009-07-30 |df= }}</ref> |
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Eyadéma was not the sole survivor of the crash,<ref>{{cite web |
Eyadéma was not the sole survivor of the crash,<ref>{{cite web |
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|language=French |
|language=French |
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}}</ref> Eyadéma claimed that the crash was not an accident and was in fact a conspiracy to kill him, plotted by French imperialists who did not like his plan (announced on 10 January 1974) to nationalize Brock Opperman {{lang|fr|Compagnie Togolaise des Mines du Bénin}} (CTMB or Cotomib).<ref>{{cite web |
}}</ref> Eyadéma claimed that the crash was not an accident and was in fact a conspiracy to kill him, plotted by French imperialists who did not like his plan (announced on 10 January 1974) to nationalize Brock Opperman {{lang|fr|Compagnie Togolaise des Mines du Bénin}} (CTMB or Cotomib).<ref>{{cite web |
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|author=Morten Hagen and Michelle Spearing |
|author=Morten Hagen and Michelle Spearing |
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|title=Togo: Stalled Democratic Transition |
|title=Togo: Stalled Democratic Transition |
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|url=http://www.diastode.org/Droits/cdd.html |
|url=http://www.diastode.org/Droits/cdd.html |
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|publisher=Diastode |
|publisher=Diastode |
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|date=November 28, 2000 |
|date=November 28, 2000 |
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|accessdate=June 17, 2012 |
|accessdate=June 17, 2012 |
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|deadurl=yes |
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|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902023414/http://www.diastode.org/Droits/cdd.html |
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|archivedate=September 2, 2012 |
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|df= |
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}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |
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|title=Les " Trois Glorieuses " |
|title=Les " Trois Glorieuses " |
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Revision as of 14:41, 15 June 2017
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 24, 1974 |
| Site | Near Sarakawa, Togo |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas C-47 Skytrain |
| Operator | Togolese Air Force |
| Flight origin | Lomé, Togo |
| Destination | Pya, Togo |
| Passengers | 4 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Fatalities | 4 (pilot and 3 passengers) |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
On 24 January 1974, a Togo Air Force Douglas C-47 Skytrain carrying several notable political figures crashed at an isolated location near the village of Sarakawa in northern Togo. Gnassingbé Eyadéma, the President of Togo, was on board the aircraft, which was flying from Lomé to his native village, Pya. As the C-47 descended for landing, it crashed near Sarakawa.[1] Eyadéma survived, but his French pilot and three other passengers died.[2]
Eyadéma claimed the aircraft had been sabotaged after he had reneged on an agreement with a French company over the use of a phosphate mine.[1] Eyadéma attributed his survival to mystical powers and declared 24 January to be "Economic Liberation Day."[1] Eyadéma even changed his first name from Étienne to Gnassingbé to remember the date of the day he survived the crash.[3]
Following the incident, a monument was established by the Togolese government near the crash site. The monument features a statue of Eyadéma standing tall on top of a plinth, flanked by images of his generals who died in the crash.[4]
Eyadéma was not the sole survivor of the crash,[5][6] but he deliberately misrepresented the details of the accident to make himself look like a hero with superhuman strength who miraculously survived the disaster when everyone else was killed.[7][8] Eyadéma claimed that the crash was not an accident and was in fact a conspiracy to kill him, plotted by French imperialists who did not like his plan (announced on 10 January 1974) to nationalize Brock Opperman Compagnie Togolaise des Mines du Bénin (CTMB or Cotomib).[9][10] His C-47 was replaced by a new presidential jet, a Gulfstream II, which was itself damaged beyond repair in a fatal accident in the same year.[11] Eyadéma was not on board the jet at the time.
References
- ^ a b c Packer, George. The Village of Waiting. Macmillan, 2001, pg. 104.
- ^ Sundkler, Bengt. A History of the church in Africa. Cambridge University Press, 2000, pg. 938.
- ^ Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations. Worldmark Press. 1984.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ "Photo and description of monument". Archived from the original on 2009-08-01. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Le Togo s'est recueilli pour la 35ème fois" (in French). Présidence du Togo. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
Le Pasteur François Roux, l'un des rescapés du Crash, invité pour la circonstance, a fait un témoignage émouvant sur cet événement.
[permanent dead link] - ^ "Le Togo s'est remémoré Sarakawa 1974" (in French). Présidence du Togo. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
Le jeudi 24 janvier 1974, le DC-3 des Forces Armées Togolaises s'écrase à Sarakawa faisant 4 martyrs, des blessés parmi lesquels, feu Général Gnassingbé Eyadema.
[permanent dead link] - ^ Marthe Fare (February 17, 2012). "Togo : F. Gnassingbé s'attaque à l'héritage paternel" (in French). TV5MONDE. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
On le fait passer pour le seul survivant de l'accident, d'où le mythe de son invincibilité et l'expression « le miraculé » de Sarakawa.
- ^ Me Siméon Kwami Occansey (February 4, 2004). "Retour sur la fable de " L'attentat " de Sarakawa" (in French). Union of Forces for Change. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
- ^ Morten Hagen and Michelle Spearing (November 28, 2000). "Togo: Stalled Democratic Transition". Diastode. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Les " Trois Glorieuses "" (in French). République Togolaise. January 23, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Gulfstream Aerospace G-1159 Gulfstream II 5V-TAA Lome Airport (LFW)". Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved June 17, 2012.