HC Deb 17 March 1948 vol 448 cc247-8W
3. Mr. Dumpleton

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what consultations have taken place with the French Government and the Trusteeship Council regarding the possible Adjustment of the Togoland boundaries so as to secure the unification of the Ewe people in one territory; and what conclusions have been reached.

Mr. Creech Jones

A series of petitions, the substantial claim in which was that the Ewe people should be united under a single administration, was submitted to the Trusteeship Council from April until November, 1947. Discussions between representatives of the British and French Governments took place during the latter part of 1947 and as a result of these discussions a joint memorandum by the British and French Governments was submitted to the Trusteeship Council in November, 1947.

This memorandum made it clear that the two Governments do not accept the plea of the petitioners for the unification of the Togo territories and it gave the reasons for this view. The memorandum did, however, recognise that the division of the territories inhabited by the Ewe people and other tribes is a source of certain difficulties and it described the economic, fiscal, educational and administrative measures which the two Governments intend to take with the object of reducing and eventually removing these difficulties. The memorandum also informed the Trusteeship Council that a Standing Consultative Commission for Togoland Affairs would be set up to secure co-ordination between the two administrations and to give the necessary impetus to the carrying out of these measures. The Commission will consist of the Governor of the Gold Coast and the Commissaire de la Republique for French Togoland as co-chairmen, with two African representatives of the inhabitants of each of the two Territories as members.

The Trusteeship Council unanimously adopted a resolution welcoming the measures which the two Governments proposed to take and inviting the administering authorities to proceed with further measures in the same spirit. It is hoped that the first meeting of the Commission shall be held in West Africa during May.