Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) has ordered the deployment of its standby force to Benin Republic after holding consultations with heads of state and government.
Gatekeepers News reports that the commission said the move aligns with ECOWAS protocols, including Article 25(e) of the 1999 mechanism on conflict prevention and peacekeeping.
In a statement released in Abuja on Sunday, the commission said the ECOWAS authority instructed that the force be sent to Benin immediately. It explained that the contingent will include personnel from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
According to the commission, the mission is meant to support the Benin government and its national army in protecting constitutional order and safeguarding the country’s territory.
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.
