On 27 April, MINURSO celebrated Togo’s National Day by raising its national flag at the Mission headquarters in Laayoune next to the UN flag.

On this day, Togo marks its declaration of independence from France in 1960. It is celebrated nationwide with parades, concerts, and ceremonies. The name “Togo” in Ewe language, one of the official languages of the country, means “behind the river”.

Togo is one of the contributing countries to peace operations worldwide. Its peacekeepers are deployed in seven peacekeeping missions including MINURSO.

Togo’s flag contains a red square that stands for the citizens' loyalty towards their country, the green color symbolizes hope and agriculture, the yellow color represents mineral wealth, and the white star symbolizes life, purity, and independence. As for the five different stripes, they stand for each distinct region of Togo.