Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Soldiers in Benin have announced on national TV that they have removed President Patrice Talon from power. They said the constitution is suspended, and all borders and the country’s airspace are closed.
Gunfire was reported near the president’s residence in Cotonou, but officials close to Talon say he is safe and insist the mutinous soldiers do not have the support of the main army.
Foreign Minister Shegun Adjadi Bakari told Reuters the situation is under control and most of the military remains loyal.
An official speaking to AFP said the group only took over the TV station and that the city remains secure.
Talon’s exact whereabouts are unknown. Roads in Cotonou have been blocked, and soldiers are heavily deployed.
The coup leaders said Lieutenant-Colonel Tigri Pascal will head a military transition council. They accused President Talon of mismanaging the country.
Talon, 67, was due to step down next year after finishing his second term, with elections set for April.
Benin is considered one of West Africa’s more stable democracies and a major cotton producer, though it remains among the world’s poorest nations.
In recent years, Talon’s government has faced criticism for suppressing opposition, including the electoral commission’s decision in October to block the main opposition candidate.
The French, Russian and US embassies have urged their citizens to stay indoors or avoid the area around the presidential compound.
This apparent coup comes just over a week after the overthrow of Guinea-Bissau’s president and adds to a wave of military takeovers in West Africa, including in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger.
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