Keypoints:
- Around 30 suspects, mainly soldiers, placed in pre-trial detention
- Alleged coup leader and several mutineers remain on the run
- Opposition figures questioned as security clampdown widens
BENINESE authorities have placed around 30 people, most of them soldiers, in pre-trial detention following a failed coup attempt earlier this month, signalling a toughening response as the government moves to contain fallout from the unrest.
Legal sources told AFP that the suspects were jailed on Tuesday after appearing before a special prosecutor at the Court for Economic Crimes and Terrorism in the coastal city of Cotonou. They are facing charges including treason, murder and endangering state security.
The detentions follow dramatic events on December 7, when a group of soldiers appeared on national television claiming that President Patrice Talon had been deposed. The announcement was short-lived. Loyalist forces swiftly regained control, with security sources saying the response was supported by the Nigerian air force and French special forces.
Alleged ringleaders still at large
Several people were killed during clashes linked to the attempted putsch, according to security officials. The alleged leader of the coup, Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, remains on the run alongside other mutinous soldiers, prompting an ongoing manhunt.
Judicial sources said the accused were first brought before the special prosecutor on Monday. By Tuesday, they had been placed in pre-trial detention as investigations continued into what authorities describe as a serious threat to constitutional order.
A heavy security deployment was visible around the Cotonou courthouse during the hearings, with armed personnel stationed in surrounding areas, an AFP journalist reported.
Opposition figures drawn into probe
The security crackdown has extended beyond the military. Chabi Yayi, son of former Beninese president and current opposition figure Thomas Boni Yayi, was released on Monday after being questioned in connection with the failed coup.
Although he has been granted freedom of movement, Chabi Yayi remains under prosecution for reasons that have not been publicly disclosed. Relatives said that he is expected to report again to police on Thursday. He is a member of the opposition party led by his father, raising concerns among critics about the widening scope of the investigation.
On the same day, the Cotonou Court of Appeal upheld a two-year prison sentence against Steve Amoussou, an online activist accused of operating a social media account sharply critical of the government.
Last Friday, former defence minister and prominent opposition politician Candide Azannai was also arrested. Authorities have not clarified whether his detention is directly linked to the coup attempt, which Azannai has publicly condemned.
International arrest warrant issued
Benin has also issued an international arrest warrant for pan-Africanist and anti-Western influencer Kemi Seba, accusing him of backing the attempted coup. Prosecutors say he is being tried in absentia for advocating crimes against state security and inciting rebellion.
In messages shared on social media, Seba has vowed that ‘we shall see this fight through to the end’, further fuelling tensions between the authorities and government critics.
Power transition under scrutiny
President Talon, who has been praised for boosting economic growth, has faced mounting criticism over what opponents describe as increasingly authoritarian governance in a country once lauded for its democratic vitality.
He is due to step down in April after serving the constitutionally permitted two terms. His likely successor is Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, who appears well positioned ahead of elections from which the main opposition party has been excluded after failing to secure enough sponsors to field a candidate.
The political uncertainty comes as Benin confronts growing jihadist violence in its northern regions, adding further pressure to an already tense security and political environment.
