Page "Gnassingbé Eyadéma" Paragraph 3

After taking power, Eyadéma won uncontested elections in 1972, 1979, and 1986.

During his rule he escaped several assassination attempts ; in 1974 he survived a plane crash in the northern part of the country near Sarakawa.

After another unsuccessful assassination attempt by a bodyguard, he carried the bullet removed by the surgeon as an amulet.

A national conference was held in August 1991, electing Joseph Kokou Koffigoh as Prime Minister and leaving Eyadéma as merely a ceremonial president.

Although Eyadéma attempted to suspend the conference, surrounding the venue with soldiers, he subsequently accepted the outcome.

Despite this, Eyadéma managed to remain in power with the backing of the army.

In March 1993, an unsuccessful attack was made on the Tokoin military camp, where Eyadéma was living ; several people were killed in the attack, including Eyadéma's personal chief of staff, General Mawulikplimi Ameji.