Benin Republic has taken several soldiers into custody after a failed attempt to remove President Patrice Talon.
Gatekeepers News reports that military and security officials who spoke with AFP confirmed this. One official said 13 people were arrested, while another confirmed that all those held were active soldiers except one former officer.
Recall that during a broadcast on the state-run television station on Sunday morning, some uniformed officers identifying themselves as members of the Military Committee for Refoundation said they had assumed full command of national affairs.
In the televised address, the soldiers stated that President Patrice Talon and all political officeholders had been removed from office, adding that state institutions, including the constitutional structures of government, had been dissolved.
They introduced Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri as the head of the newly formed military leadership, claiming that their intervention was necessary to refound the nation and restore “public order”.
Before the broadcast, heavy gunfire was heard near the president’s residence and other key areas in the capital. Witnesses said armed soldiers took over the national broadcaster before making the announcement, and armoured vehicles were seen moving around the presidential palace as everything was happening.
Subsequently, the presidency announced that President Talon was safe, adding that the “regular army” was regaining command of key installations. The president’s whereabouts however remain unknown.
