Benin Coup Leader Flees to Togo as Government Plans Extradition Request
COTONOU, Benin — Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, the army officer who led a failed coup attempt against the government of President Patrice Talon, has fled to neighboring Togo, according to Benin government officials.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that authorities have tracked Tigri to the Togolese capital, Lomé. His reported location is near the residence of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé. Benin plans to formally request his extradition to face justice. Togolese authorities have not yet issued any public comment on the matter.
The coup attempt, which unfolded earlier this week, saw mutineers briefly seize a military base and state television offices before being dislodged. The Beninese government successfully thwarted the takeover after calling on regional ally Nigeria for assistance. Nigerian fighter jets were deployed to help drive the rebels from their positions, a decisive intervention that cemented the coup’s failure.
The incident has heightened anxieties across West Africa, a region grappling with a destabilizing series of military takeovers in recent years. Nations like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea have all experienced coups since 2020, raising concerns about democratic backsliding and instability.
The attempt in Benin, a nation previously seen as relatively stable, marks a worrying southern expansion of this trend. Regional bodies, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), are likely to monitor the situation closely, particularly the pending extradition process.
President Patrice Talon’s government has moved to reassert control, but the escape of the alleged ringleader to a neighboring country adds a complex diplomatic layer to the crisis. The coming days will test cooperation between Benin and Togo as authorities seek to hold Lt. Col. Tigri accountable.
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