Edem Kodjo

**Édouard Kodjovi "Edem" Kodjo** (23 May 1938 – 11 April 2020), be one Togolese politician plus diplomat. He serve as Secretary-General for de Organisation of African Unity from 1978 go 1983; later insyd Togo, he turn one big opposition leader afta dem introduce multi-party politics. He serve as Prime Minister from 1994 go 1996 den again from 2005 go 2006. Kodjo be President for de Patriotic Pan-African Convergence (CPP). Kodjo die insyd Paris on 11 April 2020.

## Early life
Dem born Kodjo insyd Sokodé, Tchaoudjo Prefecture, French Togoland insyd May 23, 1938. Ein secondary school education be insyd West Africa Secondary School insyd Ghana.

## Career

### Early career
After he finish ein studies insyd France, he work as administrator insyd Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française from November 1964 go reach June 1967. After dat, he come return Togo den President Gnassingbé Eyadéma appoint am as Secretary-General for Ministry of Finance insyd July 1967. Kodjo take part for de formation of de Rally of de Togolese People (RPT) ruling party for de late part of 1969 den he come turn Secretary-General for de new party. He sana write de "Green Book", wey dem take use as ideological foundation for de formation of RPT ein one-party rule. Dem remove am from ein post as RPT Secretary-General insyd 1971.

Kodjo serve insyd Eyadéma ein government as Minister of Finance from 1973 go 1977, den as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1976 go 1978. Dem elect am as Secretary-General for Organisation of African Unity (OAU) during demma summit for Khartoum insyd July 18–22, 1978. One key matter wey face de OAU during Kodjo ein five-year term be de status of de Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), wey claim say dem get independence for de former colony of Spanish Sahara, wey by dat time Morocco dey occupy part of am. Kodjo take controversial decision wey allow make SADR take seat as member for OAU insyd February 28, 1982, even though Morocco plus some African countries wey support Morocco ein stand oppose am. According to Kodjo, de decision base purely on de fact say majority of OAU member states don recognize SADR, but e bring serious wahala insyd OAU, wey make some member states boycott OAU meetings. Senegal ein President Abdou Diouf even accuse Kodjo say he dey do "mischief-making".

After he lef ein post as OAU Secretary-General insyd 1983, Kodjo go live insyd France, where he teach insyd Sorbonne, write for Jeune Afrique, den he establish ein own magazine, Afrique 2000. Insyd 1985, he publish *Africa Tomorrow* for France, wey later E. B. Khan translate into English den dem publish am insyd United States insyd 1987.

#### 1990s
Insyd 1991, some few months before de National Conference, Kodjo come back Togo den form one new opposition political party wey be Togolese Union for Democracy (UTD). Insyd July 20, 1993, de Collective of Democratic Opposition (COD II) choose am as demma only candidate for de presidential election wey go happen August 25, 1993, even though Gilchrist Olympio from de Union of de Forces of Change (UFC) no agree plus dis decision. Together plus ein opposition colleagues Yawovi Agboyibo den Djobo Boukari, Kodjo announce insyd August 22 say he dey pull ein candidacy den boycott de election, because de number of registered voters be too high—wey fit mean say dem dey plan prepare way to rig de election.

Together plus oda opposition leaders, Kodjo put pressure on Eyadéma make he hold free den fair parliamentary election for 1994. For dis election inside, de Action Committee for Renewal (CAR) den de UTD join forces wey make dem win early majority for National Assembly—CAR get 36 seats den UTD get seven; Kodjo ein own seat too come from Lomé. At first, CAR den UTD agree say make dem nominate CAR President Yawovi Agboyibo as Prime Minister. But after dem cancel election for three constituencies, de two parties come lose de small majority wey dem get, den Eyadéma invite Kodjo make he form government. He announce say he don appoint Kodjo as Prime Minister insyd April 22, 1994; Kodjo take office April 25. De CAR take Kodjo ein appointment as breach of de agreement between dem, so dem refuse make dem join ein government. De way Kodjo take accept de Prime Minister post, plus de fact say he dey part of how de RPT regime start, make plenty opposition supporters no trust am again. Dem announce ein government insyd May 25, 1994; de government include de RPT, de UTD, plus some small-small parties wey no get seat for National Assembly. Even though Kodjo be de head, de RPT strong pass for inside de government.

Kodjo serve as Prime Minister insyd Togo till August 20, 1996. He resign from de Prime Minister position after RPT win de elections wey dem do again for de constituencies where dem cancel de first results, wey make RPT plus ein allies get majority for parliament. After dat, dem form new government under Kwassi Klutse from RPT.

On de night of August 13, 1997, some tear gas canisters throw reach Kodjo ein house just as he dey come out plus ein guests. UTD talk say na from police vehicle dem throw de canisters. Kodjo announce insyd May 4, 1998 say he no go contest insyd de June 1998 presidential election, as he emphasize say opposition need to unite. He support de main opposition candidate, UFC ein President Gilchrist Olympio.

#### 2000–2020
Later on, Kodjo turn leader insyd one new party wey dem call Patriotic Pan-African Convergence (CPP), wey dem form insyd August 1999 through de joining of four parties, including UTD. Kodjo stand as CPP ein candidate for de June 2003 presidential election. He criticize Eyadéma say he no keep ein promise to step down insyd de 2003 election, den he repeat ein call make opposition bring out one common candidate. During de campaign, CPP call for television debate between Kodjo den Eyadéma after RPT begin do wetin CPP see as personal attacks against Kodjo. Insyd de election insyd, official results show say Kodjo get 0.96% of de vote wey put am for fifth place; he talk say de results no be correct, dem be fraudulent.

After de April 2005 presidential election wey bring plenty dispute, wey happen just after Eyadéma ein death, ein son den successor Faure Gnassingbé choose Kodjo—wey dem see as moderate opposition person—as Prime Minister again insyd June 8, 2005, instead of picking somebody from de radical opposition. Kodjo start ein work insyd June 9, wey make he take over from Koffi Sama.

Insyd announcement wey come out insyd September 16, 2006, Gnassingbé accept Kodjo ein resignation den name Yawovi Agboyibo as new Prime Minister. Then for September 25, Gnassingbé take decree appoint Kodjo as Minister of State to de Presidency.

Insyd de October 2007 parliamentary election, Kodjo contest for seat inside National Assembly as CPP ein candidate for Avé Prefecture, where he be de first name on de party ein list. But CPP no win any seat for dat election.

During CPP congress for de end part of April 2009, Kodjo talk say he go retire from daily politics make younger people take over leadership. He talk sana say he no go contest insyd de 2010 presidential election. As Special Envoy of La Francophonie, he land insyd Madagascar insyd May 8, 2009, to help settle de political crisis wey dey go on for de country.

Insyd one interview wey Jeune Afrique publish insyd May 2009, he talk say he serve ein country for all de ways possible except say he no be President. He talk say, “I have made my contribution to the construction of my country.” Kodjo talk say he no get interest for “internal politics” again, den he prefer focus on Pan-Africanism by helping to promote cooperative ways to solve African problems.

Insyd 2016, he act as mediator for de African Union during de political palava between government plus opposition for Democratic Republic of de Congo concerning de timing of de next election.

## Death
Kodjo die of COVID-19 on April 11, 2020, insyd Paris, France. Na de Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey pay tribute to am, wey na he call am "a brilliant academic".

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