A referendum on autonomy was held in
French Togoland on 28 October 1956. Since World War I, the territory had been a
League of Nations mandate
A League of Nations mandate was a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I, or the legal instruments that contained the internationally agreed-upon terms for administ ...
and then a
United Nations Trust Territory
United Nations trust territories were the successors of the remaining League of Nations mandates and came into being when the League of Nations ceased to exist in 1946. All of the trust territories were administered through the United Natio ...
under
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
control.
The referendum offered residents the choice of remaining a Trust Territory or becoming an autonomous region within the
French Union. The result was 93% in favour of the latter, with a 77.3% turnout.
Elections in Togo
African Elections Database However, the referendum was rejected by the United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
as it had not included the option of independence and opted to continue with the trusteeship. In neighbouring British Togoland, a referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
earlier in the year had resulted in the territory becoming part of Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
.
The trusteeship was ended in 1960 when French Togoland became independent as Togo.
Results
References
{{Togolese elections
French Togoland
Autonomy referendum
French Togoland
Referendums in Togo
French Togoland
French Togoland