OUAGADOUGOU/COTONOU — Burkina Faso has granted political asylum to the leader of a failed military coup in neighbouring Benin, reversing reports that he was to be repatriated, regional security sources said.
Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, identified by Beninese authorities as the architect of the abortive takeover on Dec. 7, 2025, fled the country after loyalist forces foiled the plot with support from the Nigerian Air Force and French special forces.
Tigri initially crossed into Lomé, Togo, before travelling to Ouagadougou around Dec. 12, where Burkina Faso’s military-led government later granted him political refugee status, the sources said.
Benin’s President Patrice Talon had earlier demanded Tigri’s extradition from Togo, warning that a refusal would suggest complicity. Burkina Faso’s decision to offer protection is consistent with its membership of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and the bloc’s stated principles of humanitarian solidarity, according to officials familiar with the matter.
Recent reports indicate Tigri may since have been moved to Niamey, Niger, where he is alleged to be staying in a ministerial residence, though this could not be independently confirmed.
Meanwhile, Beninese authorities have detained several prominent figures in connection with the failed coup. Those arrested include former defence minister and opposition figure Candide Azannai, as well as Chabi Yayi, son of former president Thomas Boni Yayi, who was later released but remains under prosecution.
Security sources said about 30 people, most of them military personnel, were arrested in the days following the attempt. Benin’s government has not provided further details on the investigations.
