Benin coup thwarted by loyalist troops, president tells nation

Benin's president appeared on television to reassure citizens of the West African country that the situation was now “completely under control” following a coup attempt earlier in the day.

“I would like to acknowledge the sense of duty demonstrated by our army and its leaders who have remained … loyal to the nation,” Patrice Talon said, appearing calm during the evening's live broadcast.

The government said it had foiled a mutiny hours after a group of soldiers announced their takeover on national television.

Later in the afternoon, powerful explosions were heard in Cotonou, Benin's largest city and seat of government. Presumably, they arose as a result of an airstrike.

Before the explosions, flight tracking data showed three planes had entered Benin's airspace from neighboring Nigeria and then returned home.

A spokesman for Nigeria's president later confirmed that its fighter jets had arrived to “seize airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from national television and the military camp where they were regrouping.”

Before Sunday's foiled coup attempt in Benin, a series of coups took place in West Africa, fueling fears that security in the region could deteriorate.

Benin, a former French colony, is considered one of Africa's most stable democracies. But Talon has faced accusations of suppressing criticism of its policies.

The country is one of the continent's largest cotton producers but is among the world's poorest countries.

Nigeria, Benin's major neighbor to the east, described the coup attempt as a “direct attack on democracy.”

The 67-year-old president said in an address that loyalist forces had “destroyed the last pockets of resistance held by the rebels.”

“This commitment and mobilization allowed us to defeat these opportunists and prevent disaster for our country. This betrayal will not go unpunished,” he added.

“I would like to assure you that the situation is completely under control and therefore I invite you to peacefully go about your business this evening.”

It is unknown whether there were casualties, but the president expressed condolences to “the victims of this senseless adventure, as well as those still held by the fleeing rebels.”

Earlier, government spokesman Wilfried Leander Ungbegi told Reuters news agency that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the coup attempt.

A journalist in Benin told the BBC that of those arrested, 12 were believed to have broken into the offices of the national television station, including a soldier who had previously been sacked.

Eyewitnesses told the BBC that gunfire was heard outside the presidential residence in the early hours of Sunday as a group of soldiers announced on national television that they were suspending the constitution.

They also reported that some journalists working for the state broadcaster were held hostage for several hours.

The French and Russian embassies urged their citizens to stay home, while the US embassy advised staying away from Cotonou, especially the area around the presidential compound.

The rebel soldiers, led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, justified their actions by criticizing Talon's leadership of the country, complaining primarily about its actions in the “continuing deterioration of the security situation in northern Benin.”

The Benin army suffered losses near the northern border Niger and Burkina Faso have suffered insurgency in recent years as jihadist militants linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda spread south.

The soldier's statement spoke of “ignorance and disregard for the situation of our brothers in arms who died at the front, and, above all, the situation of their families, abandoned to their fate by the policies of Mr. Patrice Talon.”

The rebels also opposed cuts to health care, including the elimination of government-funded kidney dialysis, tax increases, and restrictions on political activity.

Talon, seen as a close ally of the West, is due to step down next year after completing his second term in office, with elections scheduled for April.

A businessman known as the “King of Cotton”, he first came to power in 2016. He vowed not to seek a third term, despite Benin's current two-term presidential limit, and backed Finance Minister Romuald Wadanyi as his successor.

Talon supporters have praised him for controlling economic development, but his government has also been criticized for suppressing dissenting voices.

In October, Benin's electoral commission barred the main opposition candidate from running on the grounds that he did not have enough sponsors.

Last month, lawmakers passed constitutional amendments, including the creation of a second parliamentary chamber, the Senate.

The term of elected officials was extended from five to seven years, but the presidential term limit of two terms remained in effect.

Sunday's coup attempt came just over a week after the overthrow of Guinea-Bissau President Humaro Sissoko Embalo, although some regional figures wondered if it was staged.

West Africa has also seen coups d'état in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger in recent years, raising concerns about stability in the region.

In recent years, Russia has strengthened its ties with these Sahel countries, and Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have left the West African regional bloc Ecowas to form their own group, the Alliance of Sahel States.

According to BBC Monitoring, news of the attempt to seize power in Benin was welcomed on several pro-Russian social media accounts.

Ecowas and the African Union (AU) condemned the coup attempt.

The Ecowas Reserve Force contingent will be deployed to preserve the “constitutional order and territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin,” the regional bloc said in a statement.

AU Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ali Yusuf reiterated the Pan-African organization's “zero tolerance position for any unconstitutional change of government, regardless of context or justification.”

You may also be interested in:

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfricaon Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

BBC Africa Podcasts