Gambiaj.com – (COTONOU, Benin) – The search for Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, alleged to be the mastermind behind the failed December 7 coup attempt in Benin, has escalated into a major diplomatic confrontation between Cotonou and Niamey, following accusations that Niger’s transitional authorities are providing him protection.
According to Jeune Afrique, citing Beninese intelligence services, Pascal Tigri has been staying in an official residence in Niamey since December 12, under the protection of Niger’s ruling military authorities.
Benin has denounced the situation as an act of “aggression,” warning that it could further strain already tense relations between the two neighboring states.
Beninese intelligence officials believe Tigri fled Benin shortly after the failed putsch, transiting through Togo and Burkina Faso before arriving in the Nigerien capital on the evening of Friday, December 12. Rather than going into hiding, he is reportedly residing in a so-called “ministerial villa” located near the presidential palace and the Directorate General of Documentation and External Security (DGDSE), Niger’s intelligence service.
Such residences are typically reserved for senior officials, including Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine and foreign military advisers.
For authorities in Cotonou, these details reinforce long-held suspicions of Niger’s involvement in the destabilization attempt. Investigators reportedly intercepted a telephone conversation between Tigri and a contact in Niger on the very day the coup attempt failed.
The allegations extend beyond harboring a fugitive. Beninese officials claim there are indications of operational coordination, pointing to “unexplained” movements of Nigerien troops and military trucks near the border on December 6, a day before the attack.
An audio recording said to be in the possession of Beninese intelligence services allegedly suggests direct involvement from capitals of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), with Ouagadougou described as a “control tower” coordinating actions with Niamey.
Despite the gravity of the accusations, Niger’s authorities, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, have remained silent.
Requests for comment from Jeune Afrique reportedly went unanswered, a stance that contrasts with Niamey’s frequent public accusations that Beninese President Patrice Talon allows French-backed destabilization efforts to be launched from Beninese territory.
A Beninese minister quoted by Jeune Afrique described the situation as extremely serious, warning that confirmation of Tigri’s presence in Niamey would amount to a hostile act.
“If it is proven that Pascal Tigri was in such and such a place, it would obviously be extremely serious,” the minister said, characterizing the matter as a “situation of aggression.”
If officially confirmed, the alleged protection of the coup plotter by Niger could mark a point of no return in relations between the two countries, already strained by regional realignments and mutual accusations of interference.
