Keypoints:
- Benin seeks return of alleged coup leader
- Soldiers briefly seized state TV in failed putsch
- Dispute risks worsening regional tensions
BENIN has called on neighbouring Togo to extradite Colonel Pascal Tigri, alleged leader of a failed coup attempt against President Patrice Talon. Two senior Beninese officials told Reuters on Wednesday that Tigri fled across the border after soldiers briefly occupied Benin’s state television station and declared a change of government.
The officials said the group was rapidly overpowered by Benin’s armed forces, supported by Nigerian firepower and French intelligence and logistical assistance. The attempt collapsed within hours, leaving authorities in Cotonou determined to identify and arrest those involved.
Benin says Tigri is hiding in Lome
According to the officials quoted by Reuters, Tigri and other alleged accomplices are now in the Togolese capital, Lome. One official said the suspects were believed to be sheltering in an area known as Lome 2, which also hosts the residence of Togo’s longstanding president, Faure Gnassingbe.
‘If the Togolese government does not extradite them to Benin, that will be the proof that Togo was involved in the coup attempt,’ the official said.
Togo’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters on Wednesday.
The failed coup alarmed West African diplomats, who have struggled to respond collectively to a series of military takeovers across the region in recent years. A dispute between Benin and Togo over extradition could deepen existing divisions and complicate efforts to defend constitutional order.
Intelligence memo links suspects to Togo
A memo from Benin’s national intelligence service to its Togolese counterpart, dated Wednesday said four members of the Beninese military had entered Togo after the failed coup. It also said Tigri received a call from a Togolese phone number on the day of the attempted takeover.
‘Our department would like to request your support in apprehending and then handing over these fugitive soldiers to the Beninese authorities by your competent services,’ the memo stated.
Benin’s government revealed further details of the attempted power grab on Monday. It said the plotters tried to seize Talon at his residence, and the president witnessed clashes first-hand. The group also kidnapped two senior military officials, who were released later on Monday morning.
Government spokesperson Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji said on Sunday that 14 people had been arrested. Talon condemned the attack, saying ‘this treachery will not go unpunished’.
Benin has not provided a death toll from the confrontations, which took place in Cotonou. A government statement said there were casualties ‘on both sides’.
Election backdrop raises stakes
The attempted coup comes as Benin prepares for a presidential election in April, marking the end of Talon’s tenure. His finance minister, Romuald Wadagni, is the ruling coalition’s candidate and is widely expected to win.
The speed with which security forces regained control is likely to be seen as a test of Benin’s resilience ahead of the vote. But the regional implications could endure, particularly if Togo declines the request to return Tigri and the other suspects.
