Cotonou, Benin
AP
—
A group of soldiers appeared on Benin’s state television to announce the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup, the latest in many West African countries.
The group, which calls itself the Military Committee for Reconstruction, announced on Sunday the dismissal of the president and all state institutions.
Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri has been appointed chairman of the military commission, soldiers said.
After gaining independence from France in 1960, this West African country witnessed multiple coups, especially in the decades following independence. Since 1991, the country has been politically stable after 20 years of rule by Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kerekou, who renamed the country the People’s Republic of Benin.
President Patrice Tallon has been in power since 2016 and was scheduled to step down after the presidential election next April.
Former finance minister Romualdo Wadani, whom Tallon nominated as a member of his party, was the candidate to win the election. Opposition candidate Renaud Agbojo was rejected by the Electoral Commission for not having enough sponsors.
Last month, the country’s parliament extended the presidential term from five to seven years, leaving the term limit at two years.
The coup is the latest in a series of military takeovers that have rocked West Africa. Last week, a military coup took place in Guinea-Bissau, ousting former president Umaro Embalo after a closely contested election in which both he and opposition candidates were declared winners.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
