By MILITARY personnel in Benin on Sunday declared that they had removed President Patrice Talon from office — although officials close to the leader insisted he was “safe” and that loyal forces were restoring order.
Appearing on state television, a group of soldiers identifying themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR) announced they had resolved that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as President of the Republic”.
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The development comes in the wake of recent coups in Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, and follows a wider pattern of military takeovers in West Africa. Benin shares its northern borders with Niger and Burkina Faso — both of which are currently under military rule.
The French Embassy posted on X that gunfire had been heard at Camp Guezo, near the president’s official residence in Cotonou, and advised French nationals to remain indoors.
However, Talon’s entourage dismissed the statement by the CMR, saying the situation remained under control.
“This is a small group of individuals who only have access to the television station. The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure,” the presidency told AFP.
Talon, 67, has been president since 2016 and is set to leave office in April after serving the maximum of two constitutional terms. A former businessman nicknamed the “cotton king” of Cotonou, he has received praise for economic reforms but also faced repeated accusations of authoritarian governance.
Benin’s political past has been shaped by periods of coups and attempted coups, raising further concern about the implications of Sunday’s announcement. The exclusion of major opposition figures from the race to succeed Talon has also sparked criticism, leaving the ruling party to compete mainly against a so-called moderate opposition.
— AFP
