Identity and Socio-Political Self-Determination of the Ewe People in Ghana and Togo

The issue of Ewes political identity is extremely relevant for the countries of their residence, since both countries have a diverse ethnic composition of the population and autonomy, or the separation of a large ethnic group can destabilize the political situation, push other ethnic groups to self-determination, and, in general, raise the question of the legitimacy of postcolonial state borders, which is relevant for most countries of West Africa. In this regard, the purpose of the study is to analyze the process of Ewe political selfidentification formation after the countries gained independence and to state the modern image of identity based on self-identification studies. The modern image of identity of the Ewe in Ghana and Togo is analyzed based on a sociological study by D. Zormelo in 2020 and a similar study by the author of this article in 2024. The study is based on a constructivist approach using retrospective and historical-systemic methods. In the context of the study, the author states that the problem of the Ewe ethnic identity formation has historical roots, since the Ewe, despite having a common language and cultural tradition, have always been disunited and are still characterized by a clan-tribal structure of self-government, which exists in parallel with the state vertical of power. At the same time, the independence of Ghana and Togo in the 1950s involved the Ewe in a competitive struggle with other ethnic communities claiming state power and resources. In the 1970s, the confrontation was in an acute phase, but in recent decades it has passed into a latent phase. As showed a sociological survey conducted in the two countries, the Ewe certainly recognize the presence of their cultural and linguistic identity, but there is no commonality of political goals today, although ethnic identity is an effective tool for political speculation on the topic of regional stability.