iDeemlawfulMilitary personnel in Benin on Sunday declared that they had removed President Patrice Talon from power, even as his entourage insisted he was safe and that loyal forces were restoring order.
Soldiers identifying themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR) announced on state television that they had convened and resolved that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic”.
The broadcast came on the heels of recent coups in Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. Benin shares northern borders with Niger and Burkina Faso, both of which have also experienced military takeovers.
The French Embassy stated on X that “gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo” near the president’s official residence in the economic capital.
It advised French nationals to remain indoors for their safety.
However, Talon’s entourage said the president, who has led the West African nation for a decade and is expected to leave office in April, remained unharmed.
“This is a small group of people who only control the television. The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure,” his office told AFP.
Benin’s political past includes multiple coups and attempted coups.
Talon, who assumed office in 2016, is approaching the conclusion of his second term in 2026, the constitutional limit.
The main opposition party has been barred from contesting the succession, leaving the ruling party to compete against a self-described “moderate” opposition.
Talon, a 67-year-old former businessman known as the “cotton king” of Cotonou, has been credited with driving economic growth but frequently faces accusations of authoritarian governance.
AFP
