Richard Attipoé

Richard Attipoé (20 April 1957[1] – 3 June 2007[2]) was a Togolese politician. He served in the government of Togo as Minister of Youth and Sports from September 2006[3][4] to June 2007 and was a member of the ruling Rally of the Togolese People (RPT).[4]

Attipoé was a campaign director for RPT candidate Faure Gnassingbé in the presidential election held on 24 April 2005. When he went to vote on election day, he was beaten up, along with two bodyguards; he said that supporters of the opposition were responsible for this assault.[5]

Attipoé, a member of the RPT's Central Committee,[6] was appointed as Minister of Youth and Sports in the government named on 20 September 2006.[3] He died in a Paramount Airlines helicopter crash on 3 June 2007 at the Lungi International Airport near Freetown, Sierra Leone[2][7][8] along with 21 other people.[8] Attipoé was part of a Togolese delegation attending an African Nations Cup football qualifying match played in Freetown between Sierra Leone and Togo; after the match, they were flown to the airport, where the helicopter caught on fire and crashed as it attempted to land.[2][7][8] Attipoé was buried in Lomé on 23 June.[8]

References
  1. Profiles of Togolese government ministers Archived December 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, etiame.com (in French).
  2. "Minister killed in plane crash", The Australian, 4 June 2007.
  3. ""Le Gouvernement togolais"". Archived from the original on February 25, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2007.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link), Republicoftogo.com (in French).
  4. "Le ministre togolais des Sports Richard Atipoe sera inhumé samedi", Panapress (grioo.com), 21 June 2007 (in French).
  5. Michael Kamber, "Voters Throng Polling Stations for Togo's Presidential Election", The New York Times, 25 April 2005.
  6. "TOGO: Hardline Gnassingbe loyalists and opposition defectors dominate new government", IRIN, June 21, 2005.
  7. "Sierra Leone air crash kills 19", BBC News, 4 June 2007.
  8. "Richard Attipoé a été inhumé à Lomé", republicoftogo.com, 25 June 2007 (in French).


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