Khaberni - Soldiers in Benin announced on national television that they have managed to take control of power.
The military declared the dismissal of President Patrice Talon from his position.
Since 2016, Talon has held the presidency in Benin, winning two presidential terms that end in 2026, and is considered the eighth president of Benin.
Earlier, President Talon denied any intention of running for a third presidential term in his country, emphasizing that he will not violate the Constitution which allows a president only two presidential terms.
In a special interview with the French magazine "Jeune Afrique", Talon stated that he will not be a candidate for a third term prohibited by the country's constitution, adding "I myself fortified the Constitution to prevent anyone from ruling for more than two presidential terms in their lifetime."
The immediate fate of the ousted president was not clear.
These developments are the latest episode in a series of coups witnessed in West Africa.
Sources told «France 24» that the coup began with an attack on the residence of President Patrice Talon in the capital Porto-Novo.
Details about the extent of clashes or human casualties as a result of the attack on the presidential palace have not yet been clarified.
In a rapid development, the rebel soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri seized the national television station and announced through it that President Patrice Talon "has been dismissed from his position".
