The French presidency announced on Tuesday that Paris had provided logistical and intelligence assistance to Benin’s armed forces after a coup attempt was launched late last week and subsequently foiled by authorities in Cotonou.
According to the Élysée, the support was delivered at the direct request of the Beninese government and included “monitoring, surveillance, and logistical assistance” to counter the coup plot targeting President Patrice Talon.
Sources at the Élysée confirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron held phone conversations on Sunday with his Beninese counterpart, as well as leaders of Nigeria and Sierra Leone — the latter currently holding the rotating presidency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Benin’s Interior Minister had announced on Sunday that the armed forces successfully put down the attempted power grab, after a group of soldiers briefly seized control of national television to proclaim the president’s dismissal.
This incident has raised concerns once again over growing political instability in West Africa, where military takeovers have multiplied in recent years, prompting heightened vigilance from ECOWAS and the broader international community.
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