Benin’s gov’t says it thwarted coup attempt after troops declared takeover

Beninese Government Claims Coup Attempt Foiled, Troops Declare Takeover.

In a surprising twist, soldiers in Benin appeared on state television announcing that they had toppled President Patrice Talon and taken power. However, the government has since revealed that it thwarted the attempted coup and remains firmly in control.

According to officials, the military's actions were part of an attempt by groups opposed to President Patrice Talon's leadership and the country's economic reforms. The attempted coup reportedly involved soldiers who had previously served under General Mathieu Kérékou, a former president who handed over power to Talon following his own 12-year rule.

In response to the coup attempt, the government has assured citizens that stability is being restored, with all necessary measures in place to prevent any further disruptions. The military's declaration of takeover may have raised concerns about potential instability in the country.

The situation in Benin highlights the ongoing challenges facing President Patrice Talon, who came to power after a transition following General Mathieu Kérékou's handover and has faced opposition from various groups since his election.

omg i'm so relieved that the coup attempt was foiled, i mean benin is such an amazing country with a rich history and culture, we don't want any drama or instability president patrice talon is doing such a great job leading the country, his economic reforms are really paying off like, who wouldn't love seeing benin's economy grow anyway, it's awesome that the government is taking all necessary measures to restore stability and keep citizens safe let's just focus on supporting president talon and benin's growth, you feel?

omg just heard this on the news i was like totally shocked but also kinda relieved that it got foiled lol benin is going through so much stuff right now i feel for the ppl anyway u know how politics can be crazy in africa sometimes? patrice talon's been dealing with opposition since day one and i'm just glad the government was able to take care of this situation quickly maybe it's a sign that they're getting things under control after all? fyi i just had the craziest dream last nite about benin lol anyway, let's just hope everything goes back to normal soon

so this is crazy... like what was supposed to happen here? some ppl say patrice talon is too progressive for benin's old guard , others think he's not doing enough to address poverty & inequality. either way, coups are always a risk in africa, and it's good that the gov actually stopped it from happening. but i'm also wondering how this happened in the first place? were there some cracks in the system that got exploited by these soldiers who used to serve under mathieu kérékou?

Omg, this is so crazy what's going on in Benin right now ... I mean, one minute the soldiers are trying to take over and the next they're saying it was all just a big misunderstanding lol. Like, who tries to stage a coup but then announces it's been foiled on TV? It's like something out of a movie or a bad game of Risk

Anyway, I'm glad to hear that stability is being restored and the government has everything under control ... but at the same time, it's hard not to think about all the other times when coups have happened in Africa and how they've ended badly .

I do wonder what's behind this coup attempt though... were there some big economic disagreements or something? Maybe we'll never know for sure. One thing's for sure though, it's a good reminder that even in peaceful-looking countries like Benin, things can still get pretty intense .

I'm surprised they didn't just arrest the coup plotters like they did last time in Nigeria . This attempt was supposed to be more coordinated, but I guess it still didn't go as planned. It's a bit suspicious that the soldiers who attempted the coup had served under General Kérékou before - is this some kind of revenge plot? Anyway, the government's saying all is well now, but I wouldn't trust it just yet . These coups are always so messy and unpredictable - we should be keeping an eye on things for a while longer .

man what's up with benin i feel like they're stuck in a loop lol tried and failed coup attempt again and then the gov just says it was all an attempt to destabilize talon's leadership? i mean we've seen this play out before under kérékou too, and now patrice talon is facing similar opposition . its like benin's got a never-ending cycle of power struggles and economic reforms are not even being fully implemented yet anyway, glad the gov was able to quash it but i'm still worried about what this means for benin's stability

I'm not surprised that the government claimed to have foiled a coup attempt, it's just another example of how politics can get messy in West Africa. The fact that troops declared themselves in charge is pretty worrying, but at the same time, I trust that Benin has a strong enough security apparatus to prevent things from getting out of hand.

I'm also curious about why these groups opposed President Talon's leadership and economic reforms. Is it because they genuinely think he's not doing a good job or are they just trying to stir up trouble? Either way, it's clear that the opposition in Benin is going to be a thorn in his side for a while.

It's also worth noting that this coup attempt might be a sign of deeper issues within Benin's politics. The country has come a long way since General Kérékou handed over power to President Talon, but it seems like there's still a lot of work to be done to build stability and trust between different groups.

man this is crazy i cant believe soldiers actually tried to stage a coup in benin i mean i get it they wanna make a change but overthrowing the president like that no thanks meanwhile its good that the government was able to prevent anything major from happening stability is def what benin needs right now

I'm not surprised at all that this happened... the economy is super messed up right now and people are getting restless. Those soldiers have been training for years, it was only a matter of time before they took action. The government's just trying to spin it as a coup attempt foiled to calm everyone down , but we all know how that usually plays out. And what's with the whole General Mathieu Kérékou thing? That guy's been in power for decades and it's time for some fresh blood . I heard the opposition groups have been whispering about him being in poor health too... maybe this is just a test of the waters before he makes way for someone new .

I'm not surprised, tbh. Politics in Africa can get super complicated . It's like, one guy comes along, thinks he's got the magic solution, and suddenly everyone's like "Hold up, this is all wrong" . And then you've got these different factions and groups with their own agendas... it's like a never-ending game of musical chairs .

I mean, President Patrice Talon's trying to do some good stuff, but it sounds like there are a lot of people who just don't agree with him . And the thing is, stability is key when you're in charge . You need to be able to keep the peace and make sure everyone's happy (well, mostly happy ). It's not easy, but I guess that's what makes politics so interesting... or frustrating, depending on who you ask .

Anyway, my two cents: let's hope everything gets sorted out in Benin . We don't need any more drama . Can we just have a smooth transition and move on?

omg what is going on in benin? i was just reading about this and my mind is blown. i feel so bad for president talon and the people of benin, they're going through this crazy stuff again. it's like, one minute you're trying to make progress and the next thing you know, there's a coup attempt and everyone's running around. and now they're saying it was all just a ploy by some groups opposed to talon's leadership? i don't know what to think anymore. can someone please explain to me what's really going on here?

what's going on with benin anyway? like they say one thing but do another lol so the gov is saying it foiled the coup but also got taken over by the military i mean, how does that even work? doesn't that sound kinda crazy to anyone else?

what's going on in benin tho? i mean, one minute they say coups happened next minute it was all just a misunderstanding lol anyway, seems like president patrice talon's got some haters who don't like the way he's running the country think economic reforms are a bad thing or somethin?