Fambaré Ouattara Natchaba facts for kids

Fambaré Ouattara Natchaba was an important politician from Togo. He was born in 1945 and passed away in 2020. He held a very important job as the President of Togo's National Assembly, which is like their parliament. He served in this role from 2000 to 2005. He was also a key member of the main political party in Togo, called the Rally of the Togolese People (RPT). He even represented Togo in the Pan-African Parliament.

Political Journey and Roles

Fambaré Natchaba was born in Gando, Togo in 1945. He started his political career working closely with President Gnassingbé Eyadéma. From 1977 to 1981, he was the Director of the President's Cabinet. This meant he helped the President with many important tasks. He also helped write Togo's Constitution in 1980.

Early Government Positions

In 1991, Natchaba was a representative for the RPT party at a big national meeting in Togo. Later, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. He held this position from 1992 to 1994. In this role, he helped manage Togo's relationships with other countries.

Serving in the National Assembly

Natchaba was first elected to the National Assembly in 1994. He represented the Oti Prefecture area. He was re-elected in 1999, winning with all the votes in his area. Before becoming President of the National Assembly, he was the leader of the RPT group in parliament. He was also the First Vice-President of the National Assembly.

On September 3, 2000, he was elected as the President of the National Assembly. After another election in 2002, he was re-elected to this position. In 2004, when the Pan-African Parliament started, Natchaba became one of Togo's five members. This parliament works to bring African countries closer together.

Togo's Political Changes in 2005

In February 2005, President Eyadéma passed away. After his death, the country faced a big political challenge. The military took control and gave presidential powers to Eyadéma's son, Fauré. This was against Togo's constitution. The constitution said that the President of the National Assembly should become the temporary President for 60 days until a new election.

Challenges to Leadership

At that time, Fambaré Natchaba, as President of the National Assembly, was in Benin. He could not return to Togo. Many countries around the world said that the military's actions were like a coup d'état, which means taking power illegally.

On February 6, 2005, the National Assembly voted to remove Natchaba as its President. They then elected Fauré Gnassingbé to lead the National Assembly. This was done to try and make his new position as President seem legal. However, there was a lot of pressure from inside and outside Togo. Because of this, Gnassingbé resigned on February 25. Then, Bonfoh Abbass was chosen as the new President of the National Assembly. This made him the temporary President of Togo.

Natchaba stated that it was "unconstitutional" to ignore him and make Gnassingbé President. He believed he was the rightful President.

Return to Togo and Later Roles

On March 5, 2005, Fambaré Natchaba returned to Togo. He came with President Mathieu Kérékou of Benin. They met with important army and government officials. After this, President Gnassingbé later appointed Natchaba as his special representative. Natchaba worked with the European Parliament and the European Commission.

In 2006, Natchaba signed an important agreement for the RPT party. This agreement was about the election process in Togo. He was also a member of the RPT's main political groups. In 2007, he tried to become a candidate for parliament again but was not chosen by his party.

In 2009, when President Gnassingbé's brother was arrested, Natchaba said it was "just an incident." He emphasized that Togo needed to continue on the path of democracy. He also said that the time of President Eyadema was "well and truly over."

Family Life

Fambaré Natchaba was married and had five children. He passed away in a hospital in Lomé on October 15, 2020, at the age of 75.