Benin's Government Asserts Control Following Attempted Military Coup

COTONOU, Benin — The government of Benin has announced that President Patrice Talon is safe and that loyalist security forces have successfully restored order following a brief but dramatic coup attempt by a faction of soldiers on Sunday.

In an official statement, the presidency dismissed the actions of the rogue soldiers, who had earlier seized the national television station to declare Talon's removal. The government characterized the group as a marginal faction with minimal influence within the military.

"This is a small group of individuals who only managed to seize the television station," the statement read. "The regular army is steadily regaining control. Both the city and the entire country remain completely secure."

The announcement directly countered a broadcast made by soldiers identifying themselves as the "Military Committee for Refoundation," who had declared that they had removed the president from office. The government has since described that televised declaration as an isolated disruption and assured citizens that the situation is firmly under control.

The swift reassertion of authority by loyalist forces appears to have contained what could have escalated into a more severe political crisis. Authorities continue to monitor the situation as normalcy returns to the capital.

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