DOCUMENTS ~ n .'i STrR T/1108 INDEX UNIT lVI/·\ . C.i · SEP ~ ~J 1954 UNITED NATIONS . United Nations Visiting Mission to . Trust Territories in West Africa, 1952 REPORT ON TOGOLAND UNDER FRENCH ADMINISTRATION TOGETHER WITH RELATED DOCUMENTS. TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL · OFFICIAL RECORDS : THIRTEENTH SESSION (28 January - 25 March 1954) SUPPLEMENT No. 3 NEW YORK, 1954 UNITED NATIONS United Nations Visiting Mission to Trust Territories in West Africa, 1952 REPORT ON TOGOLAND UNDER FRENCH ADMINISTRATION TOGETHER WITH RELATED DOCUMENTS TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL OFFICIAL RECORDS : TWRTEENTH SESSION (28 January - 25 March 1954) SUPPLEMENT No. 3 NEW YORK, 1954 NOTE By its resolution 867 (XIII), adopted on 22 March 1954, the Trusteeship Council decided that the reports of the United Nations Visiting Mission to Trust Territories in West Africa, 1952, including its special report on the Ewe and Togoland unifi­ cation problem, should be printed, together with the relevant observations of the Administering Authorities and the text of resolution 867 (XIII) concerning the Mission's reports. · Symbols of United Nations documents are 'composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. T/1108 March 1954 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Report on Togoland nnder French Administration submitted by the United Nations Visiting Mission to Trust Territories in West Africa, 1952 Letter dated 5 March 1953 from the Chairman of the Visiting Mission to the· Secretary- General . 1 FOREWORD.................................................................. 1 PART ONE INTRODUCTION •....•.•. ." .•.•...... , , .... , , •• , ••..•. , , , , , •.. , , , , , •.. , , , , •..•• , 2 ITINERARY ••........................•.•.••••.... ~ .••••. ·. • • • • • . • • . • . 2 PART TWO CHAPTER I. POLITICAL ADVANCEMENT A. General ................................... , . 4 B. Relationship between the Trust Territory and the French Union .......... ~ . 5 C. Executive powers . .. 5 D. Chiefdoms.............................................. 6 E. Administrative structure .......................... ; . 6 F. Elected bodies . 7 (a) Territorial Assembly . 7 (b) Conseils de circonscription . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 (c) Communes-mixtes . 8 G. Suffrage -, .............. -. : ................................. _. • . 8 H. Participation of indigenous inhabitants in the administration of the Territory. 10 I. Judicial system . 11 J. Freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of movement...... 11 CHAPTER II. ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT A. General .............................................................. 12 B. Agriculture ........................................................... 13 C. Forests (a) General ........................................................... IS (b) Classification of forests .............................................. 15 (c) Palm trees ........................................................ 16 D. Chamber of Commerce ................................................. 16 E. Trade ................................................................ 17 F. Industry .............................................................. 18 G. Co-operatives ......................................................... 18 H. Transport and communications (a) Roads ............................................................ 19 (b) Bridges ........................................................... 19 (c) Railroads ........................................................•• 20 (d) Water-ways and port ............................................... 20 (e) Air connexions ................................................... 20 (f) Taxation .......................................................... 20 iii Page CHAPTER Ill. SOCIAL ADVANCEMENT . A. Labour (a) General . 20 (b) Customary dues . 21 B. Public health ......................................................... :. 21 (a) Hospitals and dispensaries . 21 (b) Attendance of sick people in hospitals and dispensaries . 22 (c) Leprosaria . 22 (d) Morbidity . 23 C. Water supply . 23 D. Penitentiary organization . 23 E. Population (a) Civil status offices . 23 (b) Population pressure . 23 (c) Seasonal migration . 24 CHAPTER IV. EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT A. General . 24 (a) Difference between the South and the North . 25 (b) Language of instruction . 25 B. Primary education . 26 C. Secondary and technical education . 27 D. Higher education and scholarships . 27 E. Adult education . 28 CHAPTER V. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON THE UNITED NATIONS............ 28 ANNEx I. Itinerary . 29 ANNEX II. Map . inset between p. 30 and 31 Observations of the Administering Authority on the report of the Visiting Mission 31 Resolution 867 (XIII) adopted by the Trusteeship Council on 22 March 1954 . 35 jy REPORT ON TOGOLAND UNDER FRENCH ADMINISTRATION SUBMITTED BY •. THE UNITED NATIONS VISITING MISSION TO TRUST TERRITORIES IN WEST AFRICA, 1952 LETTER DATED 5 MARCH 1953 FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE VISITING MISSION TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL I have the honour to transmit to you herewith in you would· allow an interval of two weeks to elapse accordance with Trusteeship Council resolution 465 (XI) between the transmission of this report to the members of 22 July 1952 and with rule 99 of the rules of procedure of the Trusteeship Council and its general distribution. of the Trusteeship Council, the report of the United I have pleasure in informing you that this report has Nations Visiting Mission to Trust Territories in West been unanimously adopted by the members of the Africa, 1952 on Togoland under French administration. Visiting Mission. I should be grateful if, in accordance with the same rule, (Signed) Roy A. PEACHEY FOREWORD At its 409th meeting, tenth session, on 27 March 1952, Territories under Council resolution 36 (III) of 8 July the Trusteeship Council decided to send a mission to 1948 and to undertake the duties enumerated in Council visit the four Trust Territories in West Africa in 1952. resolution 311 (VIII) of 7 February 1951 on the same At the same meeting, it decided that the Mission should question ; to transmit to the Council as soon as practi­ be composed of persons nominated by Australia, cable after the completion of its visits a report on each Belgium, China and El Salvador. At its eleventh session, of the Territories visited containing its findings, with such on 24 June 1952, the Council approved the nomination observations, conclusions and recommendations as it of Mr. Roy A. Peachey (Australia) as Chairman of the might wish to make. Mission, and appointed Mr. Robert Scheyven (Belgium), In addition to its functions defined above the Visiting Mr. H. K. Yang (China) and Mr. Roberto E. Quiros Mission was requested by the Council's resolution 424 (X) (El Salvador) as members of the Mission. of 3 March 1952, reaffirmed in the preamble to reso­ By resolution 465 (XI) of 22 July 1952, the Council lution 465 (XI) of 22 July 1952, to investigate and submit directed the Visiting Mission to investigate and to report a special report on the Ewe and Togoland unification as fully as possible on the steps taken in the four Trust problem. This special report was transmitted by the Territories towards the realization of the objectives set Visiting Mission to the Council on 25 October 1952 and forth in Article 76 b of the Charter, taking into account reproduced as document T/1034 of 7 November 1952. the terms of General Assembly resolution 321· (IV) of The Mission, accompanied by seven members of the 15 November 1949 ; to give attention, as might be Secretariat, 1 departed from New York by air on appropriate in the light of discussions in the Trusteeship 18 August 1952 and arrived in Togoland under French Council and in the General Assembly and of resolutions administration on 21 August 1952. It visited Lome from adopted by them, to issues raised in connexion with the 21 August to 25 August; Accra, Gold Coast, the seat of annual reports on the administration of the four Trust the Government of Togoland under United Kingdom Territories concerned, in petitions received by the administration, from 25 August to ·28 August; Togoland Trusteeship Council relating to those Trust Territories, under United Kingdom administration from 28 August in the reports of the first periodic Visiting Mission to the to 9 September ; and Togoland under French adminis­ Trust Territories in West Africa and in the observations tration from 9 September to 25 September. of the Administering Authorities on those reports ; to It prepared its special report on the Ewe and Togoland accept and receive petitions without prejudice to its unification problem at Nganoundere (Cameroons under acting in accordance with the rules of procedure and to French administration) from 26 September to 14 October. investigate on the spot, after consultations with the local It visited the Cameroons under French administration representative of the Administering Authorities concerned, from 14 October to 10 November; the Cameroons under such of the petitions received as, in its opinion, war­ ranted special investigation; to examine, in consultation 1 Mr. J. J. Cebe-Habersky, Principal Secretary ; Mr. L. with the Administering Authorities, the measures taken Sternbach, Miss J. Brown-Harrop, Mr. F. T. Liu, Assistant Secre­ and to be taken in respect of the provision of information taries ; Mr. E. Sameh, Administrative Officer ; Mr. G. Margoulies, about the United Nations to the peoples of the Trust Interpreter ; Miss P. Lacerte, Stenographer. 1 United