Cotonou, Benin — President Patrice Talon Thanks Army for Foiling Coup Attempt. Benin’s President Patrice Talon has expressed gratitude to the nation’s army leaders for their role in thwarting a military coup attempt that unfolded over the weekend.
The president vowed that those responsible for the uprising would face punishment.
On Sunday morning, a group of soldiers, identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation, seized control of state television and declared the dissolution of the government.
However, within hours, the minister of interior announced that the takeover had been thwarted. “I would like to commend the sense of duty of our army and its leaders who remained republican and loyal to the nation, “Talon. “.
This commitment and mobilization allowed us to thwart these adventurers and save our country.
This treachery will not go unpunished. Officials commented on the matter. “.
He mentioned individuals still being held by the mutineers and assured that efforts were underway to locate them safely.
According to local media, thirteen soldiers have been arrested in connection with the coup attempt.
The fate of the coup leader, Lt Col Pascal Tigri, remains unclear.
Gunfire was reported in some areas of the capital, Cotonou, but the city has remained relatively calm since the coup attempt was announced.
The signal to the state television and public radio was eventually restored.
The coup attempt is the latest in a series of military takeovers and attempted takeovers that have shaken West Africa.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Ghana to support Benin’s army in preserving constitutional order and territorial integrity. ECOWAS has described the attempted coup as a “subversion of the will of the people of Benin.”Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu praised the Nigerian armed forces for their involvement in restoring the government in Benin.
The Nigerian government’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that Benin’s government had requested air and ground forces. Benin, which gained independence from France in 1960, has experienced multiple coups since then.
However, since 1991, the country has been politically stable, following the two-decade rule of Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kérékou.
President Talon has been in power since 2016 and is due to step down next April after a presidential election. Further details are expected as the situation unfolds.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 2*
