Benin's government says it shut down a coup attempt after some soldiers tried to take over the country and suspend the constitution. Lt-Col Pascal Tigri led the military crew that briefly announced they'd kicked out President Patrice Talon, but the interior minister went on TV to say the armed forces stayed loyal and kept everything under control. Helicopters started circling over Cotonou while troops blocked off streets, and the president ended up chilling at the French embassy for safety.
The coup-plotting soldiers complained about how Talon runs things, even though he's supposed to step down next year after his second term wraps up. The guy made his money in cotton and picked his finance minister as the next candidate. This West African nation usually gets credit for being stable compared to neighbors like Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Niger, where coups have been popping off lately with Russian backing.
The coup-plotting soldiers complained about how Talon runs things, even though he's supposed to step down next year after his second term wraps up. The guy made his money in cotton and picked his finance minister as the next candidate. This West African nation usually gets credit for being stable compared to neighbors like Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Niger, where coups have been popping off lately with Russian backing.
