West African bloc ECOWAS to deploy regional troops to Benin after coup attempt

By Mevlut Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ordered on Sunday the deployment of a regional standby force to Benin following a coup attempt.

The standby force will include soldiers from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Ghana, according to an ECOWAS statement.

The statement said the troops would help the Beninese government and army “preserve constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin.”

The deployment order follows a previous ECOWAS statement pledging to support Benin in defending its constitution and territorial integrity ‘in all forms necessary,’ including deployment of a regional standby force.

A group of Beninese soldiers told the state broadcaster on Sunday that they had removed President Patrice Talon from power and appointed Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri to lead a newly formed “Military Committee for Refoundation.”

Interior Minister Alassane Seidou, however, said on national television that the coup attempt by “a small group of soldiers” was foiled, urging citizens to carry on with their daily activities.

The attempted coup follows the military coup in Guinea-Bissau in late November, which installed Gen. Horta Inta-A as transitional president.