Benin Jails 30 for Foiled Coup Attempt, Opposition Figures Targeted

Benin’s government has taken a firm stance against those allegedly involved in a thwarted coup attempt earlier this month, with around 30 people, mostly soldiers, jailed on Tuesday pending trial. The group, accused of links to the coup bid, appeared before a special prosecutor on Monday and were placed in pre-trial detention the following day.

The alleged coup leader, Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, and several other mutinous soldiers remain at large, with the authorities working to track them down. The coup attempt, which was swiftly foiled by loyalist forces with the help of Nigerian and French troops, resulted in several deaths.

Those detained are facing charges of treason, murder, and endangering state security. The trial is being seen as a test of President Patrice Talon’s grip on power, with critics accusing him of authoritarianism.

The crackdown has also ensnared several opposition figures, including the son of former President Thomas Boni Yayi, Chabi Yayi, who was released on Monday but remains under prosecution. The government’s actions have raised concerns about the state of democracy in Benin, once hailed as a model of stability in West Africa.

The opposition has condemned the arrests, with former defence minister Candide Azannai, a prominent opposition figure, arrested on Friday. Azannai’s arrest has sparked fears of a wider crackdown on dissent.

The government has also issued an international arrest warrant for Kemi Seba, a Pan-Africanist influencer who backed the coup attempt. Seba has vowed to fight on, saying “we shall see this fight through to the end”.

The situation is being closely watched, with Benin’s stability seen as crucial to regional security. President Talon is due to step down in April, but the political landscape is increasingly tense, with the main opposition party excluded from the ballot in upcoming elections.