Benin’s military searches for coup plotters after a failed takeover, with several dead and regional forces mobilising to support the government
COTONOU: Benin’s military is searching for fugitive soldiers behind a foiled coup attempt over the weekend that left several people dead.
Loyalist military sources said at least a dozen plotters had been arrested by Monday, with all hostages released.
The country’s economic capital Cotonou was calm with normal traffic flow a day after soldiers announced on television they had ousted the president.
President Patrice Talon appeared on TV late Sunday to assure the nation the situation was “completely under control”.
Talon, 67, is due to hand over power in April after serving the maximum two terms.
The coup attempt follows successful military takeovers in neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
“Violent clashes” erupted between plotters and the Republican Guard at Talon’s residence, causing “casualties on both sides”, the government said.
The dead included the president’s military chief of staff General Bertin Bada and his wife.
Benin called for swift help from neighbouring Nigeria, which said it carried out military strikes on Cotonou and deployed troops.
The West African bloc ECOWAS announced military support for Benin but cancelled a scheduled meeting in Abidjan.
A military source said they could not confirm how many people were implicated or currently on the run.
“The search continues,” the source said, adding “there have been arrests”.
Other sources told AFP there had been around a dozen arrests, but coup leader Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri remained at large.
All hostages have been “released”, according to the military source.
Two senior officers, Chief of army staff Abou Issa and army chief Colonel Faizou Gomina, were taken hostage but released overnight.
In his address, Talon said the country had “stood firm” and “cleared the last pockets of resistance”.
In Cotonou, the road to the presidential residence was closed Monday afternoon, with military tanks seen elsewhere.
ECOWAS said troops from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Sierra Leone were being deployed to help “preserve constitutional order”.
The regional bloc, the UN, France and the African Union condemned the coup attempt.
Under Benin’s constitution, Talon cannot run for a third term but his designated successor, Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is a favourite for the April election.
The main opposition Democrats party has been excluded from the ballot.
In a statement, the party said it “rejects any seizure of power by force and strongly condemns these acts”.
“This heinous and tragic event once again highlights the need for all political actors in our country to prioritise dialogue,” it stated.
Although hailed for economic growth, Talon is accused by critics of authoritarianism.
Benin’s political history has been marked by several coups and attempted coups since independence from France in 1960. – AFP
