A group of Benin military personnel on Sunday declared that they had removed President Patrice Talon from office, just months before the end of his 10-year tenure scheduled to conclude in April.
The soldiers, operating under the name “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR), made the announcement on state television, stating that they had resolved that “Mr. Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic.”
Talon’s whereabouts remained unknown at the time of the broadcast. Meanwhile, the French Embassy reported gunfire near Camp Guezo, close to the president’s official residence, and urged French nationals to stay indoors for safety.