Burkina Faso–Togo border

Germany’s Togoland

A Franco-German convention of 23 July 1897 divided German Togoland from French Dahomey and Sudan. North of Dahomey it ran the line west along latitude 11°N, leaving the village of Pougno to France and Koundjouaré to Germany. British agreements of 1898, 1904 and 1906 fixed where the Gold Coast met both territories.^[1]

A Franco-German declaration of 28 September 1912 set out the line in detail, based on surveys of 1908–09. Each point was defined by measuring along local roads from French or German survey stakes, and the present border still follows it.^[1]

“112. 2,350 meters south of French stake No. 17 at Faouargou (Fongurugu), measured on the Pemondjiora (Bembondjurga) road.”^[1]

Mandates and independence

After the First World War Togoland was divided into French and British mandates; the French part bordered Upper Volta. The British part joined the Gold Coast to form Ghana in 1957. Upper Volta itself was abolished in 1932 and restored in 1947. Togo became independent on 27 April 1960 and Upper Volta on 5 August 1960.^[1]

From Benin the line runs west along the 11th parallel for about 16 miles, then south-west to the Sansargou river, follows it north for about 6 miles, and ends with a straight line of 44 miles to Ghana. The old German–British–French tripoint lay about 1,850 metres north-west of today’s Ghana tripoint, which was set by a 1929 demarcation.^[1]