Benin's president says situation under control after coup attempt

Benin President Patrice Talon said on Sunday that the West African nation's government and armed forces had thwarted a coup attempt by a group of soldiers and vowed to punish them.

Talon's announcement on Sunday evening came about 12 hours after gunfire first rang out in several neighbourhoods of Cotonou, the country's biggest city and commercial hub, and soldiers went on state television to say they had removed Talon from power.

Forces loyal to Talon "stood firm, recaptured our positions, and cleared the last pockets of resistance held by the mutineers," Talon said in his own televised statement.

"This commitment and mobilization enabled us to defeat these adventurers and to prevent the worst for our country... This treachery will not go unpunished."

Talon said his thoughts were with victims of the coup attempt as well as with a number of people held by the fleeing mutineers, without giving details. Reuters was unable to verify if there were casualties or hostages.

The unrest was the latest threat to democratic rule in the region, where militaries have in recent years seized power in Benin's neighbors Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as in Mali, Guinea and, only last month, Guinea-Bissau.

But it was an unexpected development in Benin, where the last successful coup took place in 1972.

A government spokesperson, Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji, said that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the coup attempt as of Sunday afternoon, without providing details.

At the request of Talon's government, Nigeria sent air force fighter jets to take over Benin's airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the state television network and a military camp, a statement from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu's office said.

Nigeria has also sent ground troops, the statement said.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union condemned the coup attempt.

In a subsequent statement, ECOWAS said it had ordered the immediate deployment of elements of its standby force to Benin, including troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Benin's Interior Minister Alassane Seidou described the soldiers' announcement as "a mutiny" aimed at "destabilizing the country and its institutions."

"Faced with this situation, the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership maintained control of the situation and foiled the attempt," he added.

Benin, located in south-central West Africa, covers an area of approximately 110,000 square kilometers with a population of about 14 million. 

Its political situation has remained largely stable since the 1990s, and it has long been regarded as one of the more peaceful and secure countries in West Africa. 

Talon was elected president in March 2016 and won re-election in April 2021.

(With input from AFP, Reuters)