aug 6, 1951 - Joint Council replaces ECC
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Juli 1951: British and French proposed to substitute a Joint Council for Togoland Affairs for the Enlarged Consulting Comission
Britain & France had decided to create a joint body of representatives of the two territories. This body would not, however, have no executive or legislative power extending over both territories: it was seen as a meeting point of representatives of the peoples of the two territories where views on their development could be exchanged and co-ordinated; and where development measures could be harmonized.
Olympio was in favour of boycotting the Joint Council as French Togoland elections were not free. Given that there was no equal representation between British and French Togoland (French insisted on that), that would have meant that pro-French parties would have been in the majority.
At the third meeting on 6th August 1952, the four British Togoland and the two CUT representatives walked out in protest against the disparity of representation of the two territories on the Council (s. FCO 141/5009 1252). The CUT decided that instead of taking part in the Council, where it would be a permanent minority, it would wait and appeal to the UN Mission which was due to visit the territory. At its meeting in December, 1952, the UN General Assembly blamed the failure of the Joint Council on the haste with which it had been convened and on the adoption of certain procedures by the Administering Authorities to which some sections of the people had objected. (Amenumey)
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