An attempted military coup, the outcome of which is still unknown, has been reported in Benin, a country in West Africa.
Soldiers seized the national network, declaring that they had expelled President Patrice Talon and taken power. There are reports of gunfire near the President’s residence in the capital, Cotonou.
The soldiers also announced the suspension of the constitution, the closure of all land borders, and the country’s airspace.
According to their statement, Lieutenant Colonel Tigri Pascal will lead a military council for the transition of power into military hands. They cited President Talon’s management of the country as the reason for their move.
Talon, 67, is scheduled to step down next year after completing his second term, with elections planned for April.
Talon, a businessman known as the “King of Cotton,” first took power in 2016 elections. He had promised not to seek a third term and had already named his successor.
The French Embassy urged its citizens to remain indoors for their safety.
The coup in Benin comes one week after the overthrow of Umaro Sissoco Embaló from the presidency in neighbouring Guinea-Bissau. In recent years, several coups have occurred in West Africa (including Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and the Republic of Niger), intensifying fears that security in the region may deteriorate.
(information from naftemporiki.gr)
