Benin has placed former defense minister and prominent opposition leader Candide Azannai in pre-trial detention as part of an ongoing investigation into a failed coup attempt earlier this month. Azannai was arrested last week at his party’s headquarters in Cotonou and is accused of plotting against the state and inciting rebellion, despite having publicly condemned the attempted takeover.
His detention comes after around 30 people, mostly soldiers, were jailed on treason charges following the failed coup. On December 7, a group of soldiers appeared on national television claiming they had overthrown President Patrice Talon. Loyalist forces, supported by the Nigerian air force, quickly suppressed the uprising.
Several people were killed during the attempted coup, and some suspects—including the alleged leader, Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri—remain on the run. After hours of questioning at Benin’s anti-terrorism court, Azannai was escorted by police at dawn and taken into custody, according to an AFP journalist.
While President Talon has been credited with boosting economic growth, critics accuse his government of increasing authoritarianism in a country once regarded as a democratic model in West Africa. The developments also come as Benin faces growing security threats, including jihadist violence in its northern regions. Talon is expected to step down in April after reaching the constitutional two-term limit.
