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Regional forces were sent to the nation on the weekend in the wake of what the nation's president described as an failed attempted takeover.

Leader Claims Authority After Security Forces Respond

Benin’s head of state, Patrice Talon, stated on Sunday that the circumstances was “totally under control” after military and police took action to halt a coup attempt by a group of soldiers who assaulted government buildings.

West African Bloc Orders Force Dispatch

However, Ecowas – West Africa’s regional bloc – said it had ordered the swift dispatch of units of its reserve troops to the nation, which has a inhabitants of about 14.5 million.

“Troops from the Republic of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Sierra Leone were dispatched to ‘support the government and the Republican Army of Benin to preserve constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin’,” the bloc stated in a release.

Air Strikes Conducted by Adjacent Country

A neighboring country's air corps also struck sites in Benin, a informed official informed the press on Sunday. An military spokesperson said this action was “in line with regional agreements and the Ecowas standby force mandate”.

It was not clear what the targets of the strikes had been.

Mutiny Targeting State Destabilization

Earlier on Sunday a band of military members had “launched a mutiny”, the nation's interior minister declared, “intending to undermine the state and its institutions”.

The individuals had been broadcast on Benin’s state TV to proclaim the disbandment of the government in the latest of many coups and failed seizures of power in the region.

The faction, which called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, declared the removal of the head of state and all state institutions. Lt Col Pascal Tigri was appointed president of the junta, the soldiers stated.

Loyalist Forces Thwart Plot

The swift mobilisation of units supporting the administration “allowed us to thwart these adventurers”, Talon remarked in comments aired on national television after the government re-established command of the broadcaster.

“This treachery will not go unpunished,” he continued.

Latest Threat to Area Stability

The attempted coup was the most recent threat to democratic rule in the area, where armed forces have in recent years seized power in Benin’s neighbors the Republic of Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as in the Republic of Mali, the Republic of Guinea and, recently, the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

However, it was a unexpected development in Benin, where the previous successful overthrow took place in 1972.

Arrests Carried Out in Relation to Events

A government spokesperson, earlier said that 14 people had been detained in relation to the events as of Sunday afternoon, without providing details.

Attempt During Political Planning

The incident came as Benin was gearing up for a national vote in the spring that would mark the conclusion of the tenure of Talon, sixty-seven, who has held power since 2016.

In their televised statement, the individuals behind the attempt mentioned the worsening security situation in northern Benin “combined with the lack of care and attention of our deceased fellow soldiers”.

The president has been praised for stimulating the nation's finances, but the nation has also seen an rise in assaults by extremist groups that have caused devastation in Mali and Burkina Faso.