Face of Benin failed coup Lt Col. Pascal Tigri declared wanted

Lt Col. Pascal Tigri, the officer at the center of Benin’s failed coup, has been declared wanted by the country’s authorities, along with Captaine Ousmane Samary and Captaine-Major Sambieni Castro, who were also involved in the attempted overthrow of President Patrice Talon.

The coup attempt unfolded on Sunday morning when Tigri and his group of soldiers seized control of the state television station and appeared on air, announcing that the government had been removed and the constitution suspended.

Tigri identified himself as the leader of the group calling itself the “Military Committee for Refoundation.”

The rebels reportedly attacked the presidential residence in Cotonou before broadcasting their announcement. However, loyalist forces quickly regained control of key government buildings and the national television network.

Most of the mutinous soldiers were arrested, but Tigri, Samary, and Castro escaped and are now the subject of a nationwide manhunt.

Authorities, along with regional organizations such as ECOWAS and the African Union, condemned the coup attempt and reiterated their support for the constitutional government.