Authorities in Republic of Benin have placed a former defence minister and leading opposition figure, Candide Azannai, in pre-trial detention as investigations continue into an attempted coup that rocked the country earlier this month.
Azannai was remanded in custody on Saturday following accusations that he conspired against the state and incited rebellion, according to information gathered by journalists monitoring the proceedings.
He was arrested last week at the headquarters of his political party in Cotonou, days after the abortive takeover was thwarted.
His detention comes amid a widening crackdown linked to the failed coup, with about 30 suspects, most of them soldiers already jailed earlier in the week on charges of treason.
The arrests followed heightened security operations launched after dissident troops briefly claimed on national television on December 7 that they had overthrown President Patrice Talon.
The coup attempt was swiftly crushed by forces loyal to the government, with support from the Nigerian Air Force.
Several people were reported killed during the confrontation, while some alleged plotters, including the suspected ringleader, Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, are still at large.
Despite publicly condemning the attempted coup, Azannai was summoned for questioning and spent several hours before Benin’s anti-terrorism court.
He was later escorted away by police in the early hours of the morning and formally placed in detention pending further investigation.
President Talon’s administration has defended the arrests as necessary to safeguard national security.
However, the move has drawn renewed scrutiny of Benin’s political climate.
While Talon has been credited with driving economic reforms and growth, critics argued that his government has increasingly curtailed political freedoms in a country long regarded as one of West Africa’s democratic success stories.
The security situation has also been complicated by the spread of jihadist violence in northern parts of the country, placing additional strain on the state and its institutions.
President Talon is expected to step down in April after completing his second and final term in office, as required by the constitution.
As the transition approaches, the unfolding coup investigation is likely to intensify political tensions and raise questions about stability and democratic governance in Benin.
