Joy Yesufu with agency reports
President Patrice Talon remains in full control of Benin’s government after loyalist security forces moved swiftly on Sunday to counter a brief mutiny by a small faction of soldiers who claimed to have seized power.
In a statement issued by the presidency, officials dismissed the incident as the work of a marginal group that managed only to occupy a state television station before being overpowered.
“This was a small group of individuals who temporarily seized the television station. The regular army is steadily regaining control. The city and the entire country remain completely secure,” the statement read.
The reassurance followed an earlier broadcast in which uniformed soldiers, identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation, announced they had removed President Talon from office.
Authorities later described the broadcast as an “isolated disruption,” stressing that order had been restored and that there was no broader rebellion within the armed forces. Officials urged citizens to remain calm as security operations continued in parts of Cotonou.
Interior Minister Alassane Seidou had said in a statement earlier on Sunday that the armed forces had foiled the attempted coup.
Also Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari told Reuters that “a small group” of soldiers had attempted to overthrow the government but that forces loyal to President Patrice Talon were working to restore order.
