The Benin army foiled the coup attempt. A group of soldiers announced the ouster of President Talon and the seizure of power, but the armed forces handled the situation.
Benin’s Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, said on Sunday that the army had thwarted a coup attempt by a group of soldiers who claimed to have ousted President Patrice Talon.
- The Benin army thwarted a coup attempt by several soldiers.
- President Patrice Talon remained safe during the rebellion.
- The coup plotters planned to depose the president and suspend the constitution.
- Benin’s politics have been affected by coup attempts before.
- President Talon is known for economic development, but also for authoritarianism.
“A small group of soldiers launched a mutiny to destabilize the country and its institutions,” Seidou said, according to AFP.
Coup attempt
“Faced with this situation, the Benin Armed Forces and their command maintained control of the situation and thwarted the attempt,” he added.
A group of members of the army of the African state of Benin announced on Sunday that they had deposed President Patrice Talon and seized power in the country. They also declared the suspension of the constitution and the closure of all land borders and airspace. The military transitional council was to be headed by lieutenant colonel Tigri Pascal, the British station BBC reported earlier.
Reaction to the situation
However, people from the president’s entourage said that Talon is safe and the army is gradually taking control of the situation, AFP reported, writes TASR.
A government military source confirmed that the situation was “under control” and that the coup plotters had occupied “neither the presidential residence” nor the “presidential palace.” “It’s only a matter of time before everything goes back to normal,” the source assured.
History of coups
The political history of Benin has been marked by several coups and coup attempts. Talon, who came to power in 2016, will have a second term – the maximum allowed by the constitution – in April 2026.
Talon, a 67-year-old former businessman also nicknamed the “cotton king” of Cotonou, is praised for his contribution to the economic development of Benin, but his critics accuse him of authoritarianism.
