Bénin: Paris a apporté "un appui" aux forces loyalistes à la demande de Cotonou face aux putschistes
France has provided "support in terms of surveillance and observation and logistical support" to the armed forces of Benin, "at the request" of the authorities in Cotonou, in the face of the attempted coup that was thwarted last weekend, the Elysée said on Tuesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron has led "a coordination effort" and "an exchange of information with countries in the region," one of his advisors told reporters.
On Sunday he spoke with his counterpart from Benin, Patrice Talon, whom the coup plotters wanted to overthrow, as well as with Nigeria and Sierra Leone, the latter holding the presidency of ECOWAS, the West African regional bloc that mobilized a rapid military response to help Cotonou thwart the attempted coup.
Mutinous soldiers attempted to seize power in Benin on Sunday, and armed clashes left several dead. The army and authorities managed to regain control of the situation with military assistance from countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The situation in Benin "has caused great concern for the President of the Republic, who unequivocally condemned this attempt at destabilization, which fortunately failed," the Elysée explained on Tuesday, stressing that ECOWAS had already "suffered a long series of coups d'état."
"France has offered its full political support to ECOWAS, which made a very significant effort this weekend." The regional organization "decided to support Benin in terms of security and defense by authorizing an intervention by the ECOWAS standby force to help Benin's loyalist forces regain control of the situation," the French presidency continued.
Commentaires (12)
Dégagez de l'Afrique, sales terroristes suceurs du sang des africains !
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté :
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter, TikTok ou Instagram pour l'afficher automatiquement.