Determined to carry out their plan, the mutineers headed towards the National Television station, which they controlled for a time, making a statement before being driven out by the loyalist army. Panicked, they fled, abandoning some of their men who were immediately arrested.
However, the mutinous soldiers had not given up. Far from it, since moments later they tried to open other fronts, notably at the Togbin military base where they still had armored vehicles. The Republican Army, reinforced by nearby barracks, quickly surrounded the base, making any movement by the mutineers impossible, and stood ready to launch the final assault.
But since the area was located in the heart of a residential zone, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and the military command did not want heavy fighting to take place there, risking numerous civilian casualties. It was therefore decided to conduct targeted, surgical airstrikes, without exposing the surrounding neighborhoods of Togbin and Fidjrossé, nor any innocent military personnel.
From that moment on, sub-regional cooperation was activated, under the auspices of ECOWAS and at our country's request. Nigeria then came to our aid by conducting airstrikes at the end of the day, using its military aircraft which disabled some of the armored vehicles.
This operation was carried out successfully, without any loss of life. The last attackers, having witnessed the preparatory maneuvers, fled the scene. Control of the base was then regained, and an ECOWAS standby force composed of Nigerian soldiers, who arrived overnight from Sunday to Monday to support the efforts of the Republican Army, is currently stationed there.
Similarly, also within the framework of this sub-regional cooperation, a special force arrived from Côte d'Ivoire late Sunday to take up positions in Cotonou, ready for further action if needed.
Finally, it should be noted that General Abou Issa and Colonel Faizou Gomina, who had been held hostage, were freed early Monday morning, December 8, thanks to the swift action of intelligence services and the security measures put in place in the town of Tchaourou, where they had already been taken by the fleeing mutineers, who had threatened to kill them. In light of the gravity of the events, the Government observed a minute of silence in memory of those who lost their lives, expressed its support for the wounded, and then ordered that the ongoing investigations identify all perpetrators and those who ordered them, whoever they may be, establish responsibility so that they can be held accountable, assess the material damage, including collateral damage suffered by civilians, and consider compensation by the State.
Taking this opportunity, the President of the Republic expressed his gratitude to the entire Beninese people for their unwavering support and commitment to the well-being of our country. He commended our Army and its leaders for demonstrating their loyalty and sense of civic duty; and then instructed that the families of those who sacrificed themselves in defense of the homeland receive appropriate assistance. He also expressed his appreciation for the solidarity shown by the ECOWAS countries, particularly Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire.
He urged the Government and the entire nation to see this ordeal as an opportunity to continue building a strong and resilient Benin, one that protects all its citizens, but where everyone must also learn to be accountable for their actions, especially when those actions are detrimental to the country's interests.
Finally, he affirmed his conviction that our country will continue its march toward progress and that we must learn all the lessons from these events so that they never happen again.
However, the mutinous soldiers had not given up. Far from it, since moments later they tried to open other fronts, notably at the Togbin military base where they still had armored vehicles. The Republican Army, reinforced by nearby barracks, quickly surrounded the base, making any movement by the mutineers impossible, and stood ready to launch the final assault.
But since the area was located in the heart of a residential zone, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and the military command did not want heavy fighting to take place there, risking numerous civilian casualties. It was therefore decided to conduct targeted, surgical airstrikes, without exposing the surrounding neighborhoods of Togbin and Fidjrossé, nor any innocent military personnel.
From that moment on, sub-regional cooperation was activated, under the auspices of ECOWAS and at our country's request. Nigeria then came to our aid by conducting airstrikes at the end of the day, using its military aircraft which disabled some of the armored vehicles.
This operation was carried out successfully, without any loss of life. The last attackers, having witnessed the preparatory maneuvers, fled the scene. Control of the base was then regained, and an ECOWAS standby force composed of Nigerian soldiers, who arrived overnight from Sunday to Monday to support the efforts of the Republican Army, is currently stationed there.
Similarly, also within the framework of this sub-regional cooperation, a special force arrived from Côte d'Ivoire late Sunday to take up positions in Cotonou, ready for further action if needed.
Finally, it should be noted that General Abou Issa and Colonel Faizou Gomina, who had been held hostage, were freed early Monday morning, December 8, thanks to the swift action of intelligence services and the security measures put in place in the town of Tchaourou, where they had already been taken by the fleeing mutineers, who had threatened to kill them. In light of the gravity of the events, the Government observed a minute of silence in memory of those who lost their lives, expressed its support for the wounded, and then ordered that the ongoing investigations identify all perpetrators and those who ordered them, whoever they may be, establish responsibility so that they can be held accountable, assess the material damage, including collateral damage suffered by civilians, and consider compensation by the State.
Taking this opportunity, the President of the Republic expressed his gratitude to the entire Beninese people for their unwavering support and commitment to the well-being of our country. He commended our Army and its leaders for demonstrating their loyalty and sense of civic duty; and then instructed that the families of those who sacrificed themselves in defense of the homeland receive appropriate assistance. He also expressed his appreciation for the solidarity shown by the ECOWAS countries, particularly Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire.
He urged the Government and the entire nation to see this ordeal as an opportunity to continue building a strong and resilient Benin, one that protects all its citizens, but where everyone must also learn to be accountable for their actions, especially when those actions are detrimental to the country's interests.
Finally, he affirmed his conviction that our country will continue its march toward progress and that we must learn all the lessons from these events so that they never happen again.
Determined to carry out their plan, the mutineers headed towards the National Television station, which they controlled for a time, making a statement before being driven out by the loyalist army. Panicked, they fled, abandoning some of their men who were immediately arrested.
However, the mutinous soldiers had not given up. Far from it, since moments later they tried to open other fronts, notably at the Togbin military base where they still had armored vehicles. The Republican Army, reinforced by nearby barracks, quickly surrounded the base, making any movement by the mutineers impossible, and stood ready to launch the final assault.
But since the area was located in the heart of a residential zone, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and the military command did not want heavy fighting to take place there, risking numerous civilian casualties. It was therefore decided to conduct targeted, surgical airstrikes, without exposing the surrounding neighborhoods of Togbin and Fidjrossé, nor any innocent military personnel.
From that moment on, sub-regional cooperation was activated, under the auspices of ECOWAS and at our country's request. Nigeria then came to our aid by conducting airstrikes at the end of the day, using its military aircraft which disabled some of the armored vehicles.
This operation was carried out successfully, without any loss of life. The last attackers, having witnessed the preparatory maneuvers, fled the scene. Control of the base was then regained, and an ECOWAS standby force composed of Nigerian soldiers, who arrived overnight from Sunday to Monday to support the efforts of the Republican Army, is currently stationed there.
Similarly, also within the framework of this sub-regional cooperation, a special force arrived from Côte d'Ivoire late Sunday to take up positions in Cotonou, ready for further action if needed.
Finally, it should be noted that General Abou Issa and Colonel Faizou Gomina, who had been held hostage, were freed early Monday morning, December 8, thanks to the swift action of intelligence services and the security measures put in place in the town of Tchaourou, where they had already been taken by the fleeing mutineers, who had threatened to kill them. In light of the gravity of the events, the Government observed a minute of silence in memory of those who lost their lives, expressed its support for the wounded, and then ordered that the ongoing investigations identify all perpetrators and those who ordered them, whoever they may be, establish responsibility so that they can be held accountable, assess the material damage, including collateral damage suffered by civilians, and consider compensation by the State.
Taking this opportunity, the President of the Republic expressed his gratitude to the entire Beninese people for their unwavering support and commitment to the well-being of our country. He commended our Army and its leaders for demonstrating their loyalty and sense of civic duty; and then instructed that the families of those who sacrificed themselves in defense of the homeland receive appropriate assistance. He also expressed his appreciation for the solidarity shown by the ECOWAS countries, particularly Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire.
He urged the Government and the entire nation to see this ordeal as an opportunity to continue building a strong and resilient Benin, one that protects all its citizens, but where everyone must also learn to be accountable for their actions, especially when those actions are detrimental to the country's interests.
Finally, he affirmed his conviction that our country will continue its march toward progress and that we must learn all the lessons from these events so that they never happen again.
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