Lome--Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe on Monday swore the oath of allegiance for a third term of office after his recent election victory.
The 48-year-old leader made the pledge to "solemnly respect and defend the constitution" in a 30-minute ceremony in the capital, Lome, his right hand placed on a copy of the country's statutes.
Gnassingbe won the April 25 elections in the tiny West African nation, securing 58.77 percent of the vote against 35.19 percent for his nearest rival, opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre.
The victory extended the Gnassingbe family's 48-year rule over Togo, a former German-and French-administered colony it has controlled since 1967.
The oath, taken just a stone's throw from the presidential palace, was witnessed by members of the Constitutional Court and about 500 guests, most of them ministers, lawmakers and senior members of Gnassingbe's ruling Union for the Republic (Unir) party.
Also present at the event, broadcast live by state media, were foreign ambassadors. The only opposition candidate in attendance was Komandega Taama, who came fourth with 1.03 percent of the vote.
A crowd of ruling party supporters, most of them wearing t-shirts and clothes with Gnassingbe's face printed on them, gathered outside the hall to follow the ceremony on giant screens.
Gnassingbe received a traditional 21-gun salute before personal congratulations, including from the head of the Constitutional Court, Aboudou Assouma.
AFP
