Loyal forces foil military coup in Benin Republic after rebels announce that they have seized power

NIGERIA'S neighbour Benin Republic nearly had its democratically elected government overthrown this morning as rebel soldiers who called themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation mounted an unsuccessful coup.

Following on from a growing trend across West Africa that has seen the governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic and most-recently Guinea-Bissau overthrown by the military, Benin Republic's capital Cotonou was taken over by soldiers early this morning. However, loyal forces managed to foil the coup and President Patrice Talon is said to be safe and sound.

Security forces are currently restoring order and in a brief statement, the presidency dismissed the declaration of the rebels as the actions of a fringe group with limited influence. A government statement described the broadcast by the rebels as an isolated disruption and it assured the country's citizens that the situation is under control.

“This is a small group of individuals who only managed to seize the television station but the regular army is steadily regaining control. Both the city and the entire country remain completely secure,” the statement said.

In their broadcast, the rebels had declared that President Talon had been removed from office after they attacked the presidential palace in the Le Guézo neighbourhood. According to the media outlet TchadOne, the assault was carried out by a group of soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri.

Apparently, the situation escalated later in the morning when Lt Col Tigri appeared on national television, reporting that the country was now under military control, declaring himself the chairman of the new committee. Since then, however, the government appears to be regaining control with troops being deployed around key strategic locations in the capital Cotonou.