On Sunday, a faction of military personnel in Benin declared that they had removed President Patrice Talon, who is scheduled to leave office next April after a decade in power.
The soldiers, identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR), stated on state television that they had convened and decided that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic.”
Talon’s exact whereabouts were unclear, and the French Embassy reported on X that “gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo” near the president’s official residence. Citizens from France were advised to stay indoors for their safety.
