- Safiu Kehinde
No fewer than 13 soldiers have been arrested in Benin Republic following a failed coup plot against President Patrice Talon.
NPO earlier Reported that the West African nation was on Sunday thrown into a brief state of panic as gunfire were heard around Camp Guezo near the presidential residence in Cotonou, the country’s capital.
This was followed by appearance of a group of soldiers on state television, announcing that they had removed President Talon from office.
The soldiers, who identified themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR), claimed they met and resolved that Talon was no longer president.
They also announced a suspension of the constitution, the closure of all land borders as well as the country’s airspace.
According to their statement, Lieutenant-Colonel Tigri Pascal will be leading a military transition council.
They justified their actions by criticising President Talon’s management of the country.
Shortly after their declaration, security and military insiders told AFP that the suspected masterminds of the failed operation have been arrested.
All the detainees are serving military personnel except one retired officer, sources said.
Meanwhile, the presidency had in the wake of the soldiers’ appearance on state television dismissed their announcement, insisting that the 10-year incumbent was safe and that loyal forces were quelling the uprising.
“This is a small group of people who only control the television. The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure,” an official in Talon’s entourage told AFP.
According to reports, the attempted takeover comes barely months before Talon is expected to step down in April, raising fresh concerns in a country once regarded as one of West Africa’s most stable democracies.
Benin has witnessed several coups and attempted coups since independence, though the country has enjoyed relative stability in recent decades—until Sunday’s sudden flare-up.
Details about the motives of the arrested soldiers remain unclear as security operatives continue combing strategic locations in search of possible accomplices.