BENIN’s President Patrice Talon says the government and armed forces have thwarted an attempted coup in the West African nation and promised to punish those responsible.
Talon’s announcement, aired on state television on Sunday evening, came 12 hours after gunfire rang out in Cotonou, the country’s biggest city, and soldiers went on state television to claim they had removed Talon from power.
The rapid mobilisation of forces loyal to the government “allowed us to thwart these adventurers”, Talon said in his remarks.
“This treachery will not go unpunished.”
The attempted coup was the latest threat to democratic rule in the region, where militaries have in recent years seized power in Benin’s neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as in Mali, Guinea and, last month, Guinea-Bissau.
About a dozen soldiers were arrested on Sunday evening, the AFP news agency quoted military and security sources as saying.
One source told the agency that 13 arrests had been made, with another saying that all the detainees were soldiers in active service except one who was ex-military.
The coup attempt came as Benin was preparing for a presidential election in April that would mark the end of the tenure of incumbent Talon, in power since 2016.
In their televised statement, the coup plotters mentioned the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin “coupled with the disregard and neglect of our fallen brothers-in-arms”.
Talon has been credited with reviving the economy, but the country has also seen an increase in attacks by armed groups that have carried out assaults in Mali and Burkina Faso.
The troops who appeared on state television referred to themselves as part of the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR).
“The army solemnly commits to give the Beninese people the hope of a truly new era, where fraternity, justice and work prevail,” said a statement read by one of the soldiers.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said in a statement that it strongly condemned the attempted military coup and would support efforts by the government to restore order.
The African Union (AU) also issued a condemnation of the attempt, its chairperson Mahmoud Ali Yousouf stating that the bloc “strongly and unequivocally condemns” it.
His statement also reaffirmed the AU’s support for Talon.
“The African Union stands ready, in coordination with regional and international partners, to accompany the Government and People of Benin toward the full restoration of constitutional normalcy and the strengthening of democratic institutions.”
The apparent coup attempt “does not come as a surprise to anyone”, Adama Gaye, a former director of communications at ECOWAS, told Al Jazeera.
He stated that there has been a lot of political tension in the country, with many opposition members imprisoned.
Talon had managed to “eliminate key people in the opposition party, including former President Boni Yayi”, Gaye said, adding that he had designated his finance minister to take over the reins after the next election.
A number of coups have taken place across the continent in recent years, especially in West Africa. Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris said this latest event is making the region gradually regain “its notoriety for coup plots and military takeovers”.
Just last month, army officials in Guinea-Bissau seized power in a military coup with General Horta Inta-A named as the head of a one-year transitional government. The country has experienced nine coup attempts since its independence from Portugal in 1974.
In 2023, military leader Brice Oligui Nguema toppled Gabon’s then-President Ali Bongo Ondimba, a leader whose family had held power in the country for almost 56 years.
That same year, a coup removed Niger’s Mohamed Bazoum, a democratically elected leader who ruled for just two years before he was forced out of office. A military government was then installed, led by President Abdourahamane Tchiani.
In 2022, Burkina Faso’s military leader, President Paul-Henri Damiba, was deposed in the country’s second coup in a year, as army Captain Ibrahim Traore took charge.