Military personnel in Benin on Sunday claimed to have removed President Patrice Talon from office, but the Presidency clarified that he remained safe and that the army was restoring order. Talon, 67, a former businessman popularly known as the “cotton king of Cotonou,” is expected to leave office next April after a decade marked by robust economic growth and increasing jihadist threats.
West Africa has seen several coups in recent years, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and most recently Guinea-Bissau.
Early Sunday, soldiers identifying as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR) announced on state television that they had convened and decided to remove President Patrice Talon from office.
The signal was cut later in the morning.
Shortly after the announcement, a source close to Talon told AFP the president was safe.
“This is a small group of people who only control the television. The regular army is regaining control. The city (Cotonou) and the country are completely secure,” they said.
“It’s just a matter of time before everything returns to normal. The clean-up is progressing well.”
A military source confirmed the situation was “under control” and said the coup plotters had not taken Talon’s residence or the presidential offices.
The French Embassy reported on X that “gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo” near the president’s official residence in the economic capital and urged French citizens to remain indoors.
Benin has a history of coups and attempted coups.
Talon, who assumed office in 2016, is set to complete his second and final term in 2026, the constitutional limit. The main opposition party has been barred from contesting the upcoming election, leaving the ruling party to face a so-called “moderate” opposition. While Talon has been lauded for promoting economic growth, his tenure has also drawn criticism for authoritarian practices.
(AFP)