A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
A group of soldiers declared a military coup in the tiny West African country of Benin on Sunday. But almost as soon as it began, the government announced it had regained control. It's the latest in a wave of attempted coups in the region, as NPR's Emmanuel Akinwotu reports.
EMMANUEL AKINWOTU, BYLINE: The opening scenes from an all-too-familiar script in West Africa.
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UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: (Speaking French).
AKINWOTU: On Sunday morning, gunshots were reported in the capital, Porto-Novo, shortly before soldiers took over the state broadcaster in Benin and gave a live address.
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UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: (Speaking French).
AKINWOTU: They announced they had deposed President Patrice Talon and taken over the country, blaming corruption, growing insecurity near the northern border with West Africa's Sahel and political repression. But the apparent coup was short-lived. Within a few hours, Benin's interior minister announced they had foiled the attempt. Fourteen soldiers were arrested, the government said. Airstrikes apparently targeting the coup plotters were later heard in the commercial capital, Cotonou, launched by air force jets sent from neighboring Nigeria.
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PRESIDENT PATRICE TALON: (Speaking French).
AKINWOTU: Finally, on Sunday evening, President Talon addressed the country. He said the coup attempt had been foiled, just over a year after a previous effort. And he said calm and normalcy had been restored. But there remain many unanswered questions on the true extent of the coup and its potential ripple effects. Talon has been in power since 2016 and was due to step down next April. The former businessman has faced accusations of authoritarianism in the tiny coastal nation that is fast developing and is largely viewed as more stable than many of its neighbors. But after several coups and attempted takeovers in West and Central Africa, the entire region is at alert.
Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR News, Lagos.
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