Porto-Novo, Benin – A senior official in the Benin government revealed that the leader of the failed coup who tried to overthrow President Patrice Talon
a few days ago has submitted a formal request for asylum to neighboring Togo.
He called on the Togolese authorities to hand him over immediately
for trial in connection with the recent events.
This development came after Benin witnessed political and security tensions last Sunday.
When rebel soldiers briefly seized the state television building
and announced via a televised statement the removal of the president.
But the Beninese armed forces, with intelligence and logistical support from Nigeria and France,
I was able to quickly thwart the attempt and regain control of the vital facilities.
Kidnapping of the president
The coup plotters identified Colonel Tigre Pascal as the leader of the movement,
before he disappeared from sight following the failure of the coup.
According to government sources, his whereabouts remained unknown
until it was confirmed that he had applied for political asylum in Togo.
The Beninese government issued a statement on Monday confirming
that the coup plotters had attempted to kidnap President Talon from his residence.
However, security forces thwarted the attempt after limited clashes.
The statement also announced that the coup plotters had kidnapped
two senior military officers before they were freed on the morning of the same day.
This attempted coup poses a new challenge to democracy in West Africa.
Several neighboring countries – such as Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea
and Guinea-Bissau – have experienced military coups in recent years.
This raises concerns about the spread of coups to relatively stable countries in the region.
failed coup attempt
Benin government spokesman Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji said,
Authorities have arrested 14 people directly linked to the failed attempt.
He stressed that the situation in the country is “completely under control”.
He added that the government will not tolerate any threat
to the security of the state or the constitutional order.
Although Benin experienced several coups and attempted coups
in the decades following its independence from France in 1960,
The country has not experienced a power grab by force
since the adoption of the multi-party system in 1991.
This makes the latest incident a dangerous development that calls
for regional and international mobilization to maintain its stability.
