It was confusion galore in Benin Republic as some soldiers declared on television they had taken over only for the authorities to reverse the situation swiftly.
Benin’s Interior Minister Alassane Seidou says the country’s armed forces have thwarted an attempted coup.
His statement came after soldiers appeared on state television and announced the removal of President Patrice Talon, the closure of borders and suspension of political parties.
The events of yesterday came nearly a year after two associates of Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison following their arrest in 2024 on suspicion of plotting a coup.
Olivier Boko, a businessman and longtime friend of the president, and Oswald Homeky, a former sports minister, were found guilty of “conspiracy against state security” and “corruption of a public official” by the court for financial crimes and terrorism in Cotonou.
The men were convicted in January following their arrest in September 2024, after being accused of bribing the commander in charge of the president’s security to carry out a coup.
Homeky was caught while allegedly handing over six bags of money to the head of the presidential guard, according to Elonm Mario Metonou, the special prosecutor at Benin’s court for financial crimes and terrorism.
Boko, often seen as Talon’s “right-hand man”, was accused of being the mastermind behind the coup attempt and was arrested separately. Several politicians, including Homeky, had expressed support for Boko’s potential run in next year’s presidential election.
Additional reports from Blueprint