Benin's government says coup attempt 'foiled' after soldiers claimed to have seized power

Benin's government has announced that a coup attempt was "foiled" after soldiers claimed to take control on national television. Interior Minister Alassane Seidou reported that a small group of soldiers started a mutiny to destabilize the state, leading to 14 arrests. The soldiers said they formed a "military committee for refoundation," claiming to dissolve the government and suspend the constitution.

They appointed Lieutenant Colonel Tigri Pascal as their leader. Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari noted that the coup plotters only controlled state TV. Gunfire was reported in Cotonou, but the president's whereabouts remain unknown. This incident unfolds as Benin approaches its presidential election in April.