Illustrative image. (French Army)
French special forces supported Beninese troops who put down a coup on December 7, Col. Dieudonne Djimon Tevoedjre, the head of the country’s republican guard, told AFP.
The coup attempt began early in the morning with troops from the country’s National Guard attacking the residence of President Patrice Talon in the port city of Cotonou.
The troops quickly seized the national broadcaster then declared that Talon had been “removed from office as president of the republic”.
They also announced the suspension of the constitution and state institutions, and identified themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation [French: Comité Militaire pour la Refondation] (CMR) headed by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri.
What followed was a fierce battle in Cotonou. France protected Talon at its embassy, and an intelligence-gathering aircraft linked to the French military was spotted over the city. Later, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional political and economic union of twelve countries of West Africa, intervened and launched airstrikes.
In the evening, Talon, who is due to leave office next April after two terms in office, appeared on state television, stating that the situation was “completely under control”.
Tevoedjre, who led the response on the ground to an attack on Talon’s official residence, told AFP in a telephone interview published on December 10 that Beninese troops were “truly valiant and faced the enemy all day.”
“French special forces were sent from Abidjan, used for mopping up operations after the Beninese army had done the job,” the commander added.
He estimated the number of troops involved in the coup attempt at about 100 and said that they had “considerable resources”, including armored vehicles.
“We had the spontaneous support of other units, which were deployed throughout the day to retake control of areas and strategic points in Cotonou,” he added.
French special troops were involved, notably to “avoid collateral damage”, Tevoedjre said, without providing a toll of casualties.
On December 9, the French presidency openly said it had supported Benin as part of a regional effort that included ECOWAS.
An aide to President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that France provided “surveillance, observation and logistical support” assistance to Beninese troops, at the request of the government, without confirming or denying the presence of French special forces.
France relations with Talon, also known as the “King of Cotton,” goes back all the way to the time he emerged as one of Benin’s biggest businessmen. Paris protected him even when fled the country around 2011 after facing corruption charges and accusations related to a plot to poison his former ally then-president Thomas Boni Yayi.
The coup attempt in Benin came following a wave of military takeovers in west Africa, which severely damaged French influence and presence in its former colonies.
The quick reaction of Beninese troops, France and ECOWAS suggests prior knowledge of the coup plan. Talon and his allies may have allowed the attempt to take place in order to use it as an excuse to purge the military from any opposition ahead of the coming elections.
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