Coup attempt in Benin – army regains control

TT

Updated 12.36 | Published 09.57

 

Benin President Patrice Talon is said to be safe. Archive photo. Photo: Eraldo Peres/AP/TT

A group of soldiers announced on state television the dissolution of the government in Benin, in an apparent coup attempt in the West African country.

But the coup's success is denied by the president's office.

The group, which calls itself the Military Committee for Reconstruction, announced on television that President Patrice Talon had been deposed, as well as all state institutions.

According to the president's office, however, the president is said to be safe and the regular military is regaining control.

"The city and the country are completely safe," the office claims in a statement, adding that it is a "small group of people who only control the television," according to AFP.

Coup attempt stopped

Benin's Interior Minister Alassane Seidou also says the military has stopped the coup attempt.

"A small group of soldiers started a mutiny with the aim of destabilizing the country and its institutions," he says.

Talon's whereabouts were unknown at the time of the coup, and the French embassy announced on X that "shootings had been reported at Camp Guezo" near the president's official residence. French citizens were also urged to stay indoors for safety.

In power since 2016

The president has been in power since 2016 and has stated that he intends to step down in April next year after the election. Former Finance Minister Romuald Wadgni is the favorite, while opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo was rejected by the electoral commission on the grounds that he did not have enough sponsors.

Last month, the country's parliament extended the president's term from five to seven years, with a limit of two terms.

The coup attempt in Benin is the latest in a series of similar incidents on the turbulent African continent in recent years. This fall alone, the presidents of both Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar were overthrown in military coups.