Benin Republic President Safe as Government Forces Quell Attempted Coup

Benin Republic President Patrice Talon is safe as government forces have regained control after an attempted coup by a group of soldiers who identified themselves as a military committee. The soldiers announced the dismissal of Talon in a state broadcast on Benin TV.

Gunshots were reported near the presidential residence in Cotonou, with Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri appointed as the head of the military committee. The incident marks a rare event in the politically stable West African nation.