[5][6] After Togolese independence from France in 1960, relations between Togo and Ghana deteriorated, aggravated by political differences and incidents such as smuggling across their common border.

[6] During the mid-1970s, Togolese President General Gnassingbé Eyadéma for a time revived the claim to a part or all of former British Togoland.

A factor influencing Eyadéma's cooperative attitude was doubtless Togo's dependence upon electricity from Ghana's Akosombo Dam.

In August 1985, Togo in turn accused Ghana of complicity in a series of bomb explosions in Lomé, the Togolese capital.

[5] Greatly improved relations between Ghana and Togo, especially after October 1990 when opposition pressure forced Eyadéma to agree to a transition to multiparty democracy, however, could hardly disguise the persistence of old mutual fears of threats to internal security.

Following random attacks and killings of civilians in Lomé by Eyadéma's army on January 26, 1993, hundreds of thousands of terrorized Togolese began fleeing into Ghana.

[5] Sporadic shooting incidents in the spring continued to produce a regular flow of refugees into Ghana.

In August Togo supported the nomination of Rawlings for the post of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) chairman.