A coup that was announced in Benin on Sunday has been “foiled” by loyal soldiers, the West African nation’s interior minister said in a video on Facebook.
Earlier Sunday, a group of soldiers appeared on Benin’s state TV to announce the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup, the latest of many in West Africa.
The group, which called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, announced the removal of President Patric Talon and all state institutions. Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri was appointed president of the military committee, the soldiers said.
Soon after, eyewitnesses told CBS News partner the BBC that they had heard gunshots and some journalists with the state broadcaster were held hostage.
The French embassy in Benin said in social media posts that gunfire had been reported near the president’s residence in the city of Cotonou. The Russian embassy in Benin urged its citizens to stay indoors for their safety.
The U.S. Embassy urged its citizens to stay away from Cotonou, especially the area around the presidential compound, after the reports of gunfire and military activity.
While there has not been official news about Talon since the gunshots were heard, a presidential adviser told the BBC that the president is safe and at the French embassy.
The signal to the state television and public radio, which was cut off, has now been restored. Local media reported the arrest of 13 soldiers who took part in the coup earlier on Sunday, citing sources close to the presidency. It remains unclear if Tigri has been apprehended.
Following its independence from France in 1960, the West African nation experienced multiple coups, particularly in the decades that followed. Since 1991, the country has been politically stable following the two-decade rule of Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kérékou.
The regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), condemned the short-lived coup in a statement.
“ECOWAS strongly condemns this unconstitutional move that represents a subversion of the will of the people of Benin. … ECOWAS will support the Government and the people in all forms necessary to defend the Constitution and the territorial integrity of Benin,” the bloc said in a statement.
Talon has been in power since 2016 and was due to step down next April after the presidential election.
Talon’s party pick, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is the favorite to win the election. Opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo was rejected by the electoral commission on the grounds that he did not have sufficient sponsors.
In January, two associates of Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison for an alleged 2024 coup plot.
Last month, the country’s legislature extended the presidential term of office from five to seven years, keeping the term limit at two.
The coup is the latest in a string of military takeovers that have rocked West Africa. Last month, a military coup in Guinea-Bissau removed former President Umaro Embalo after a contested election in which both he and the opposition candidate declared themselves winners.