Benin Coup Attempt to Oust Talon Has Been Foiled, Interior Minister Says
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A spokesman said 14 members of the military had been arrested. The West African country’s president, who was not seen for hours, appeared on television Sunday night and said the coup plot would “not go unpunished.”
The West African country of Benin was thrown into a state of confusion on Sunday after an attempted coup by members of the military, which the government insisted had been quelled, raised questions about the nation’s stability.
Patrice Talon, president of Benin, appeared on state television Sunday evening after a day of chaos and concern about his whereabouts, saying the treachery would “not go unpunished” and that the situation was “totally under control.”
ECOWAS, a West African regional alliance, which had strongly condemned the coup attempt as “unconstitutional” on social media, said late on Sunday that it had ordered the deployment of a “regional standby force” to defend Benin “with immediate effect.”
Mr. Talon’s appearance on television appeared to lay to rest concerns about his whereabouts following reports earlier in the day of shots heard near his residence.
Wilfried Léandre Houngbedji, a Benin government spokesman, said earlier Sunday evening that Mr. Talon, who had not appeared or made any public statements throughout the day, was not harmed and that 14 soldiers who were part of the coup attempt had been arrested.
But he did not disclose any further details, leaving many questions.
