Benin Detains Soldiers After Foiled Coup Attempt

Benin’s security forces have detained roughly a dozen soldiers after an attempted coup, according to multiple military and security sources who spoke to AFP. Thirteen people were taken into custody, with all but one identified as active-duty personnel; the remaining detainee is a former soldier.

The arrests followed a brief takeover attempt on Sunday, when a group of soldiers announced on state television that they had removed President Patrice Talon from office. The group, calling itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, claimed to have convened and decided to depose the head of state. Their appearance on television came amid reports of gunfire at Camp Guezo, close to the president’s official residence in Cotonou, prompting the French Embassy to urge its citizens to remain indoors.

Talon’s entourage insisted he was secure and that loyalist forces were reestablishing control. His office described the plotters as a small faction with access only to the national broadcaster, saying the situation in both the city and the country was stable. Talon has led the West African nation for a decade and is expected to leave office in April.

Benin has a political history punctuated by coups and attempted coups, and Sunday’s events briefly revived memories of earlier periods of instability before the authorities declared the situation contained.