Benin’s state prosecutor announced the arrest of three men, including a former minister and the head of President Patrice Talon’s security detail, on suspicion of plotting a coup. The arrests have sent shockwaves through the small West African nation’s political landscape.
Former sports minister Oswald Homeky was apprehended on Tuesday while allegedly handing over six bags of money to Elonm Mario Metonou, the head of the Republican Guard. Investigators claim that Col Djimon Dieudonne Tevoedjre was being bribed to not resist a coup d’état planned for Friday.
The third detainee is businessman Olivier Boko, a friend of President Talon who had recently expressed political ambitions. Boko’s lawyers and supporters have condemned what they term his “abduction” and are demanding his immediate release.
The state prosecutor, addressing a press conference, stated that investigations are ongoing to identify additional suspects.
This incident occurs against a backdrop of growing concerns about Benin’s democratic trajectory. Once praised as a multi-party democracy, the country has reportedly taken a more autocratic turn under President Talon’s administration, according to rights groups.
President Talon had recently announced he would not seek a third term in the 2026 elections, a move that was seen as potentially easing political tensions.
The arrests in Benin come amid a wider context of political instability in the region, with eight military takeovers and several coup attempts reported in West and Central Africa since 2020.
As the investigation unfolds, this alleged coup plot has raised questions about political stability in Benin and highlights the ongoing challenges to democratic governance in West Africa.
