FLASH
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The West African country of Benin experienced a dangerous coup attempt on Sunday morning, as a small group of soldiers attempted to overthrow the ruling government and oust the current president, Patrice Talon.
According to the country's Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, "a small group of military personnel launched an uprising with the aim of destabilizing the institutions," but the immediate intervention of the Beninese Armed Forces "completely neutralized the situation."
The coup group, led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, appeared for several minutes on state television where it announced the overthrow of the president and the dissolution of state institutions, claiming that the country's borders had been closed and that all political parties had been suspended.
According to AFP sources, at least 13 people have been arrested, most of them active military personnel, while one of them is a former soldier. The incident took place near the Guezo Camp in Cotonou, where gunfire was reported. The rest of the city and the country remained calm.
Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari confirmed to Reuters that control over the situation was quickly restored, while stressing that the attempt had involved only a small group of soldiers who had only managed to occupy the public television station, whose signal was cut off after a few minutes.
Benin's presidency assured the public that President Talon is safe and that the army has regained control of institutions. "This is a limited movement, without widespread support. The regular army is restoring order and security throughout the country," the official statement said.
The event has provoked strong reactions at the regional and international level. ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) strongly condemned the attempted military coup and declared its full support for the legitimate government of Benin. Likewise, the African Union, through its chairman Mahmoud Ali Yousouf, issued a statement “strongly and unequivocally condemning” this act and expressing support for President Talon.
The coup attempt in Benin comes at a turbulent time for the West African region, where in recent years several countries, including Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea, have experienced violent overthrows of power through military intervention.
Unlike these cases, Benin managed to maintain institutional order within a few hours – a signal that, for the time being, the country remains stable and determined not to follow the spiral of instability that has gripped its neighbors.
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