On 19 February 2005, following the death of President Gnassingbe Eyadema on February 5 and the pronouncement of his son, Faure Gnassingbé, as President, ECOWAS placed an arms embargo on Togo until Faure Gnassingbé stepped down and the constitutional process was followed. The African Union and ECOWAS saw his swearing in as an effective coup d'état.
This embargo was imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Togo is a member. It was to become the first ECOWAS embargo in its history. ECOWAS stated to the press that a 'complete arms embargo' was part of the sanctions.
On 25 February 2005, following Faure Gnassingbé stepping down as President, ECOWAS announced in a press release that all sanctions, including the arms embargo, were to be lifted.