Benin foils coup attempt, arrests military commander, 2 others

DOUALA, Cameroon

Benin announced Wednesday evening that it had foiled a coup attempt and arrested Republican Guard Commander Djimon Dieudonne Trvoedjre, former Sports Minister Oswald Homeky, and businessman Olivier Boko on charges of plotting to overthrow the democratic government.

Elonm Mario Metonou, prosecutor of the Court for the Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism in Benin (CRIET), said at a press conference in the capital Porto-Novo that Benin's security forces had foiled the coup attempt.

Metonou explained that the first concrete act of the attempt occurred on August 6, when the Republican Guard commander opened an account in an Ivory Coast bank in his name. And in that account, 105 million CFA francs (approximately $178000) were discovered.

"To overcome the resistance of the commander of the Republican Guard, they promised and handed over to him on September 24, 2024, in cash, more than 1.5 billion CFA francs (approximately $2.545 million)," the official said.

He added that Homeky and Tevoedjre were arrested during the transaction, and Olivier Boko was arrested shortly after.

Mario Elonm Metonou declined to provide additional information, saying the investigation is still ongoing to identify all those involved in the coup plot.

The coup attempt occurred less than two years before President Patrice Talon's second constitutional term expired. In 2026, he will have to hand over power to a new president.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Objectif 2026 movement, which supports Olivier Boko's possible candidacy for the 2026 presidential elections, in a statement condemned a "serious attack on fundamental rights and the principles of the rule of law" as a "political attack."