Black History Month series: Black History, Not White Lies – Togo – by Korrine Sky
Find Korrine on LinkedIN and Substack . Togo’s first president was gunned down at his own gate in 1963. His crime? Daring to reject France’s money. Sylvanus Olympio wanted more than a flag and an anthem. He wanted a currency for his people. A future not chained to Paris. For that, he was shot dead by Togolese soldiers trained in France. Africa’s first post-independence coup. The weapon was not just the gun. It was the CFA franc. Created in 1945, it forced African nations to deposit their reserves in the French Treasury. It gave Paris veto power over African economies. It made independence a flag ceremony... and nothing more. France called it “stability.” In truth, it was financial slavery. An empire without the cost of soldiers. Olympio was killed. Lumumba was killed. Sankara was killed. Nkrumah was overthrown. The message was written in blood: Africa may raise its flags. But touch the money... and you will fall. And what did it mean for the people? A farmer in Togo sells cocoa for pe...
