The government of Benin has announced that an attempted military coup has been successfully thwarted, following a dramatic and tense day in the capital, Cotonou.
In a televised address Sunday evening, President Patrice Talon reassured citizens the situation was now “totally under control,” and commended the country’s armed forces for remaining loyal and restoring order.
The crisis erupted earlier in the day when a small group of soldiers, calling themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR), appeared on state television announcing they had removed the government, suspended the constitution and closed the country’s borders.
Gunfire and explosions — thought to be the result of government airstrikes — were reported across several neighbourhoods of Cotonou before government loyalist troops regained full control of strategic locations, including the state broadcaster and a military barracks.
In his address, Talon vowed that those responsible for the coup attempt would face justice and paid tribute to victims and detainees allegedly held by the mutineers.
The swift collapse of the coup — roughly 12 hours after gunfire erupted — has drawn relief from both the government and international observers, but raises fresh questions about stability and military dissatisfaction in Benin just months ahead of a scheduled presidential transition.
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