The alleged leader of a failed coup in Benin has sought refuge in neighbouring Togo, two Beninese government officials told Reuters on Wednesday, demanding his immediate extradition.

A dispute between the two small West African nations over Colonel Pascal Tigri and his alleged accomplices would risk deepening diplomatic divisions in West Africa, which has struggled to respond in a uniform way to a spate of coups in recent years.

Soldiers briefly took control of Benin’s state television station on Sunday morning and claimed they had deposed President Patrice Talon, but Benin’s armed forces, backed by Nigerian firepower and French intelligence and logistical support, thwarted the attempt.

The soldiers identified Tigri as the coup leader. His whereabouts had previously been unknown.

Togo’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

One of the Beninese officials said Tigri and others allegedly involved in the coup attempt were hiding out in a neighbourhood of the Togolese capital Lome known as Lome 2 that also houses the residence of the country’s longtime leader Faure Gnassingbe.

–Reuters–