Watch: Soldiers In This African Country Appear On State TV, Announce Apparent Military Coup, Here’s What Happened

A group of soldiers in Benin, a country in West Africa, appeared on national television on Sunday claiming they had taken control of the government. However, officials said security forces loyal to President Patrice Talon were trying to stop the attempted coup, reported Reuters.

This incident is another blow to democratic stability in the region. It comes just weeks after a coup in Guinea-Bissau, which was the ninth takeover in West and Central Africa since 2020.

At least eight soldiers, some wearing helmets, went on state TV to declare that a military committee led by Colonel Tigri Pascal was now in charge. They announced that national institutions were being dissolved, the constitution suspended, and all air, land and sea borders closed.

“The army solemnly commits to give the Beninese people the hope of a truly new era, where fraternity, justice and work prevail,” said a statement read by one of the soldiers.

Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari told Reuters “a small group” of soldiers had attempted to overthrow the government but that forces loyal to Talon were working to restore order

“There is an attempt but the situation is under control… A large part of the army is still loyalist and we are taking over the situation,” he said.

He said the coup plotters only had control of state TV, and the signal was cut later Sunday morning.

Gunfire could be heard in several neighbourhoods of Cotonou, the country’s largest city and economic hub, as residents were trying to make their way to church early on Sunday morning.

The French embassy said on Facebook that gunfire had been reported near Talon’s residence in Cotonou and urged citizens to stay at home.

The announcement came as Benin was preparing for a presidential election in April that would mark the end of the tenure of incumbent Talon, in power since 2016.

Benin’s ruling coalition had nominated Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni to be its candidate, positioning a man seen as a key architect of its economic policies to pursue the administration’s current reform agenda if elected.

Talon’s decision to step down after two terms was a rare move in the West and Central Africa region where democratic norms are increasingly under pressure.

With inputs from Reuters