Kléber Dadjo

Who was Kléber Dadjo?

Kléber Dadjo served as Interim President of Togo in his role as Chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee from 14 January 1967 to 14 April 1967 following the overthrow of President Nicolas Grunitzky's government.

Col. Kléber Dadjo, was born in Siou on August 12, 1914. He was of the Nawde ethnic and linguistic group. Col. Dadjo served in the British Army during World War II and in the French Army in the Indochina and Algerian conflicts. At the time of Togo's independence in 1960, he was the longest-serving and highest-ranking Togolese in the French Army. He held the rank of Captain and commanded Togo's tiny defence force, the Garde Togolaise. He was promoted to Major and eventually to Colonel after the 1963 coup d'état and served as head of the military cabinet of President Nicolas Grunitzky.

After the second military coup d'état on January 13, 1967, Dadjo was named interim President of Togo, a position that he held until April 14, 1967, when Lt. Col. Gnassingbé Etienne Eyadéma was named President. From 1967 through 1968, he served as Minister of Justice and as Chef du Cabinet Militaire de la Présidence de la République.