Military coup declared in Benin Republic

A group of Beniniosie soldiers announced on Sunday that a coup had taken place in the tiny West African country bordering Nigeria to the south. The soldiers, in their statement, said that Lieutenant-Colonel Tigri Pascal would lead a transition council, as the elected President Patrice Talon has been ousted.

The soldiers also said they had suspended the constitution, while blaming Talon’s handling of the country for their action.

Talon, 67, is due to step down from power in 2026, when he would have completed his second term tenure.

The couple comes in the wake of a similar one that took place in Guinea-Bissau. However observers believed that Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló staged the coup, as his electoral defeat in the country’s recent election was imminent.

The coup in Benin Republic adds to the growing list of similar military takeovers in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger.