(MENAFN) Soldiers in Benin declared on national television that they had removed President Patrice Talon from power, asserting that they were now in charge of the state. According to general reports, gunfire was heard close to the president’s residence in Cotonou, the country’s administrative hub.

The group announced that the constitution had been suspended, all land borders shut, and the nation’s airspace closed. However, individuals aligned with the presidency insisted that the government remained intact and that the mutineers lacked widespread military backing.

Foreign Minister Shegun Adjadi Bakari stated to reporters, "The situation is under control. A large part of the army is still loyalist - and we are taking over the situation." Another official within the presidency echoed this view, saying, "This is a small group of people who only control the television. The city and the country are completely secure."

The president’s exact location has not been revealed. Meanwhile, several streets in Cotonou have been blocked off, with heavy military deployments across the city.

Benin, long considered one of West Africa’s more stable democracies, is a major cotton producer yet remains among the poorest nations globally. Both French and Russian diplomatic missions urged their citizens to remain indoors for safety. The U.S. mission stated it was tracking developments closely and advised people to avoid Cotonou, particularly the area around the presidential complex.

The soldiers read out a statement naming Lieutenant-Colonel Tigri Pascal as head of a transitional military council. They defended their intervention by criticizing the president’s stewardship of the country.

Talon, 67, is approaching the end of his second term, with elections scheduled for April. A wealthy businessman nicknamed the “king of cotton,” he first came to office in 2016. He pledged not to seek a third term and has publicly supported his finance minister, Romuald Wadagni, as his successor.

Supporters credit him with driving economic progress, though his administration has also been faulted for limiting political freedoms. In October, the electoral commission barred the main opposition contender from running, citing insufficient sponsorship.

This attempted takeover comes shortly after the ousting of Umaro Sissoco Embaló in neighboring Guinea-Bissau. Over the past several years, West Africa has seen a wave of coups — including in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger — raising concerns about growing instability across the region.

Benin has also faced an increase in jihadist activity, as militant factions linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda have expanded their reach further south.

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