On 27 April, MINURSO celebrated Togo’s National Day by raising its national flag at the Mission headquarters in Laayoune next to the UN flag.
On this day, Togo marks its declaration of independence from France in 1960. It is celebrated nationwide with parades, concerts, and ceremonies. The name “Togo” in Ewe language, one of the official language of the country, means “behind the river”.
Togo contributes to many peacekeeping missions worldwide including MINURSO where the Force Medical Officer (FMO) is from Togo in addition to providing UN Military Observers. The country ranks 15th in the world among contributing countries in terms of personnel, with 1112 personnel as of 28 February 2023.
Togo’s flag contains a red square that stands for the citizens' loyalty towards their country, the green color symbolizes hope and agriculture, the yellow color represents mineral wealth, and the white star symbolizes life, purity, and independence. As for the five different stripes, they stand for each distinct region of Togo.
dzidzɔ na dukɔa ƒe ŋkeke