Benin’s President Patrice Talon has assured citizens that the “situation is completely under control” after his government, with the support of Nigerian forces, thwarted an attempted coup.
On Sunday, a group of soldiers, calling themselves the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR), announced on state television that they had ousted Talon.
They claimed to have met and decided that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic.”
The announcement triggered a swift response from loyalist army units, with Nigerian fighter jets carrying out airstrikes and troop deployments supporting Beninese forces in countercoup operations.
Military and security sources in Benin said around a dozen soldiers had been arrested, including those directly involved in the coup attempt.
Read Also
Talon, who is set to step down in April next year after ten years in office, told citizens on state broadcaster Benin TV late Sunday, “I would like to assure you that the situation is completely under control and therefore invite you to calmly go about your activities starting this very evening.”
READ ALSO: Benin Requested Nigerian Air, Ground Support During Failed Coup Attempt – Presidency
His decade-long tenure has been marked by solid economic growth alongside a rise in jihadist violence.
West Africa has witnessed multiple coups in recent years, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and most recently, Guinea-Bissau.
Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) confirmed that troops from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone were being deployed to Benin to help the government “preserve constitutional order.”
A statement from the office of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu noted that Nigerian forces had already entered Benin and that the air force had been deployed at the request of Benin’s foreign ministry
