Togo

Togolese Republic

The nation if officially known as the Togolese Republic (République Togolaise), and was inhabited primarily by independent tribal societies until the European slave trade began impacting West Africa in the 16th century. Present day Togo is part of the region historically referred to as the "Slave Coast." A larger region (also incorporating modern day Ghana) was declared a protectorate of Germany in 1884, and in 1905 became a colony known as Togoland. After the First World War, the League of Nations issued a Mandate declaring the nation be administered both by Britain and France. British Togoland would become Ghana in 1957, while French Togoland became an autonomous republic of the French Union in 1959. The nation would become an independent republic in 1960.

After the first president of Togo, Sylvanus Olympio, was assassinted in 1963, a military coup d'etat siezed power and controlled the country until 1967, when Eyadema Gnassingbe led another coup. He remained in power until his death in 2005, making him Africa's longest sitting dictator.

The Togolese Armed Forces consist of the Army, Air Force, and the National Gendarmerie.

Togolese Camouflage Patterns

• Following in the footsteps of many former French colonies, Togo originally adopted a copy of the French tenue de leópard or lizard camouflage pattern. This would see service primarily with elite units such as the Régiment Para Commando (RPC) and the Régiment Commando de la Garde Présidentielle (RCGP)

• In the modern era, Togo has adopted copies of the US m81 woodland camouflage pattern, although many units continued to wear standard olive green uniforms.

• An urban camouflage pattern worn by the Police Nationale is based on the DPM drawings, and incorporates black, dark purple, and medium purple on a lavender background. This is very similar to the pattern worn by Qatar.

• Circa 2009-2010, Togo adopted a Chinese-made pixelated design based loosely on the USMC MARPAT camouflage. The pattern has been worn by the Para-Commando Regiment, but may be issued to other units as well.

• Units of the Gendarmerie Nationale Togolaise or GNT (including the Garde Républicaine) currently wear a pixelated design with a blue colorway.

• Personnel of the Presidential Guard Commando Regiment (RCGP) have been documented wearing a three-color "arid" camouflage design based on DPM-style drawings. This same pattern was first observed on the General Security Directorate (al-Amn al-'Aam) of Lebanon, and was later adopted by some units in Mali.