Presidential guard and two others arrested as Benin Republic foils coup attempt

A presidential guard and two others have been arrested as the Benin Republic foiled a suspected coup attempt scheduled to take place on Friday.

The two others accused of plotting the coup are a former sports minister and a businessman with close ties to President Patrice Talon.

According to Elonm Mario Metonou, the special prosecutor at Benin’s court for financial crimes and terrorism, the alleged coup was set to take place on Friday.

“It appears the Republican Guard commander in charge of the president’s security was engaged by the minister Oswald Homeky and Olivier Boko in order to carry out a coup by force on September 27, 2024,” the prosecutor said.

The court said Homeky was detained at around 1:00 am on Tuesday as he was handing over six bags of cash totalling 1.5 billion West African CFA francs ($2.5 million) to the commander, Djimon Dieudonne Tevoedjre.

Boko, known as a longtime friend of President Patrice Talon, was arrested separately overnight Monday to Tuesday in Benin’s economic capital of Cotonou, the court said.

He had recently started indicating that he would make a run for the presidency in 2026, when Talon’s second term in office ends and he is prohibited by the constitution from running again.

According to investigators, Homeky and Boko paid off the military commander to not resist the planned coup.

Metonou said investigations are ongoing to arrest other suspects.

Since 2020, neighboring countries have experienced eight successful military takeovers and several attempts.

Talon, who has led Benin since 2016, faces criticism for what critics say is becoming an increasingly authoritarian rule.

Some observers argue that his policies have eroded democratic standards in the country.

Benin’s security forces have been on high alert after a series of attacks linked to violence from a jihadist uprising with origins in the Sahel region that has spilt across its borders.

Along with nearby Mali, neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger have all been hit by military coups following years of insecurity linked to jihadist violence.