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West African troops were sent to the nation on the weekend in the wake of what the country’s president described as an failed attempted takeover.

President Asserts Control Following Security Forces Respond

Benin’s head of state, Patrice Talon, said on that day that the situation was “totally under control” after security forces took action to halt a takeover bid by a group of military personnel who attacked government buildings.

Regional Alliance Orders Force Deployment

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

“Troops from the Republic of Ghana, Ivory Coast, the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of 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 organization stated in a release.

Air Strikes Carried Out by Adjacent Nation

Nigeria’s air corps also struck sites in the territory, a source informed news agencies on Sunday. An air force spokesman said this action was “consistent with regional agreements and the Ecowas standby force mandate”.

The specifics remained unclear what the targets of the strikes were.

Mutiny Targeting Government Destabilization

Earlier on Sunday a group of soldiers had “initiated an uprising”, Benin’s security chief said, “intending to undermine the state and its structures”.

The soldiers had been broadcast on Benin’s state TV to proclaim the disbandment of the government in the latest of several overthrows and attempted coups in the region.

The faction, which referred to itself as the Military Committee for Refoundation, declared the removal of the head of state and all government bodies. Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri was named head of the junta, the soldiers said.

Government Forces Thwart Plot

The rapid deployment of forces supporting the administration “allowed us to thwart these adventurers”, Talon said in a speech aired on state TV after the government re-established command of the broadcaster.

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

Most Recent Challenge to Area Democracy

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

However, it was a unexpected event in the nation, where the last successful coup occurred in the year 1972.

Detentions Made in Relation to Plot

A official representative, previously indicated that 14 people had been detained in connection to the events as of Sunday afternoon, without providing details.

Attempt Amid Political Preparations

The attempt came as Benin was preparing for a national vote in April that would mark the end of the term of Talon, sixty-seven, who has been in office since 2016.

In their broadcast announcement, the individuals behind the attempt mentioned the worsening safety conditions in northern Benin “combined with the disregard and neglect of our fallen brothers-in-arms”.

Talon has been praised for stimulating the economy, but the country has also seen an increase in assaults by extremist groups that have wreaked havoc in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso.