Security forces in Benin are searching for soldiers who attempted to seize power Sunday morning, and the president said they had taken an unknown number of hostages.
The coup plotters appeared on state television and announced that they had taken control of the coup, and gunshots were heard near the presidential residence.
But President Patrice Talon later announced that the situation in the West African country was “fully under control.”
Regional power Nigeria helped crush the rebellion at the request of the Benin government, saying its warplanes had helped “purge coup plotters from state television and military camps.”
A massive explosion was heard in Cotonou, Benin’s largest city and the seat of government, on Sunday afternoon. They were thought to be the result of air raids.
Before the explosion, flight tracking data showed three aircraft had entered Benin airspace from neighboring Nigeria and then returned home.
The extent of the damage is not clear.
On Sunday morning, Benin government spokesman Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji told Reuters that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the coup attempt.
A journalist in Benin also told the BBC that 12 of those reportedly arrested were believed to have stormed the offices of the state TV station. Among them are previously dismissed soldiers.
The coup plotters said they were led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, whose whereabouts are unknown.
In a national address on Sunday evening, the 67-year-old president said loyalist forces had “cleaned out the last pockets of resistance held by the insurgents.”
He added, “Thanks to this commitment and mobilization, we were able to defeat the opportunists and avert disaster for our country. This act of betrayal will not go unpunished.”
“I would like to reassure you that the situation is completely under control and we ask you to proceed with your business in peace.”
It is unclear whether there were any casualties, but the president expressed condolences “to the victims of this reckless adventure and to those still held captive by the fleeing insurgents.”
A series of coups in West Africa preceded the thwarted coup attempt in Benin on Sunday, raising concerns that security in the region could deteriorate.
Benin, a former French colony, has been considered one of Africa’s most stable democracies. But Talon has faced criticism for suppressing criticism of his policies.
The country is one of the continent’s largest cotton producers but one of the poorest in the world.
Benin’s larger neighbor to the east, Nigeria, described the coup attempt as a “direct attack on democracy.”
On Sunday, the French and Russian embassies urged citizens to stay indoors, while the U.S. Embassy’s advice was to stay away from Cotonou, especially the area around the presidential compound.
The rebel soldiers justified their actions by criticizing Talon’s state management and first complaining about their handling of the “continuously worsening security situation in northern Benin.”
Benin’s army has suffered losses near its northern border as rebels have attacked Niger and Burkina Faso in recent years as jihadist militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda spread south.
The soldiers’ statement cited “ignorance and neglect of the situation of our comrades who died on the front lines, and above all of their families who were abandoned to a sad fate by the policies of Mr. Patrice Talon.”
The rebels have also attacked cuts to health care, including the cancellation of state-supported kidney dialysis, increased taxes and curbs on political activity.
Prime Minister Talon, considered a close ally of the West, is scheduled to resign after completing his second term ahead of elections next April.
The businessman known as the ‘Cotton King’ first came to power in 2016. He supported Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni as his successor.
Prime Minister Talon has been praised by his supporters for overseeing economic development, but his government has also been criticized for suppressing dissenting voices.
Last October, Benin’s electoral commission banned the main opposition candidate from running because he did not have enough sponsors.
Last month, lawmakers passed constitutional amendments that included the creation of a second parliament, the Senate.
The term of office for elected officials was extended from five to seven years, but presidential term limits remained in place.
Sunday’s coup attempt came just over a week after Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoko Embalo was ousted. But some local figures are questioning whether this was a make-up.
In West Africa, coups have also occurred in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger in recent years, sparking concerns about regional stability.
Russia has been strengthening ties with Sahel countries in recent years, while Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger left West African regional bloc Ecowas to form their own group, the Alliance of Sahel Nations.
News of Benin’s takeover attempt was welcomed by several pro-Russian social media accounts, according to BBC monitoring.
Both Ecowas and the African Union (AU) condemned the coup attempt.
