Benin Jails Around 30 People, Mostly Soldiers, Over Foiled Coup Attempt

Benin jailed on Tuesday around 30 people, most of them soldiers, accused of links to a thwarted coup attempt this month, legal sources told AFP, while several mutineers are still on the run.

Soldiers appeared on national television on December 7 to announce President Patrice Talon had been deposed, but the attempted putsch was swiftly defeated by loyalist army forces with the help of the Nigerian air force and French special forces.

Several people were killed, and the alleged coup leader, er Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, and other mutinous soldiers remain on the run.

On Monday, around 30 accused appeared in front of a special prosecutor for the court for economic crimes and terrorism in the city of Cotonou, the sources said.

They were placed in pre-trial detention the following day, and at the end of their hearing, they added.

They are being prosecuted for “treason”, “murder” and “endangering state security”, the sources said.

A heavy security deployment could be seen around the court, an AFP journalist saw.

Separately, Chabi Yayi, son of former Beninese president and current opposition figure Thomas Boni Yayi, was released on Monday after being questioned.

However, he remains under prosecution in connection with the coup bid for reasons that are not known, as the authorities step up questioning of opposition figures.

He is a member of the opposition party led by his father.

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Chabi Yayi has been granted freedom of movement, several of his relatives told AFP by phone on Tuesday. But he is expected to present himself anew to the police on Thursday, according to judicial sources.

Monday also saw the Cotonou Court of Appeal confirm a two-year prison sentence for Steve Amoussou, an online activist accused of running a social media account very critical of the government.

The former Beninese defence minister and prominent opposition political figure, Candide Azannai, was also arrested on Friday. It is unclear whether his arrest was related to the coup attempt, which he condemned.

Also on Friday, Benin issued an international arrest warrant against Pan-Africanist and anti-Western influencer Kemi Seba for backing the attempted coup.

In his absence, he is being prosecuted for “advocating crimes against state security and inciting rebellion”.

On social media, Seba has vowed that “we shall see this fight through to the end”.

Although hailed for spurring economic growth, Talon is accused by critics of authoritarianism in a country once praised for its democratic dynamism.

He is due to hand over the reins of power in April after the maximum-allowed two terms leading Benin, which in recent years has been hit by jihadist violence in the north.

His likely successor is Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, who appears to have a clear path to the presidency, with the main opposition party excluded from the ballot due to a shortage of sponsors to put up a candidate.

AFP