Soldiers say they have ousted President Talon from power
Soldiers in the West African nation of Benin announced on national television that they had overthrown President Patrice Talon and seized power.
A message from the French embassy in Benin said gunshots had been heard near the president’s residence in his main city, Cotonou.
The soldiers also announced the suspension of the constitution and the closure of all land borders and the country’s airspace.
But officials close to the president say he is fine and that the small group of soldiers at the television station do not have the support of the regular army.
“The situation is under control. Most of the army is still loyal and we are taking over the situation,” Foreign Minister Shegun Adjadi Bakari told the Reuters news agency.
An unnamed person from the presidency told the AFP news agency: “This is just a small group of people who control television. The city and the country are completely safe.”
Lieutenant Colonel Tigri Pascal will lead the military transition council, according to the statement read by the soldiers.
They justified their actions by criticizing President Talon’s management of the country.
Talon, 67, will resign next year after completing his second term in office, with elections to be held in April.
The businessman, known as the “king of cotton”, first came to power in the elections held in 2016. He had promised not to seek a third term and had already chosen his successor.
The French Embassy called on its citizens to stay at home for their safety.
Benin is considered one of Africa’s more stable democracies. Although it is the continent’s largest cotton producer, it is among the poorest countries in the world.
This apparent coup in Benin comes just a week after Umaro Sissoco Embaló was ousted as president in nearby Guinea-Bissau.
There have been several coups in West Africa in recent years, including in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger, raising fears that the region’s security could deteriorate further.
Benin has seen an increase in jihadist activity in recent years as Islamic State and Al Qaeda-affiliated groups spread south.
