French officials said on Tuesday that Paris supplied intelligence and logistical support to Benin during the operation that foiled Sunday’s attempted coup, confirming France’s involvement after President Patrice Talon announced that mutinous soldiers had tried to topple him.
Talon said security forces had halted the plot and vowed that those involved would face justice.
Officials from the French presidency said France also shared intelligence with Nigeria, which deployed fighter jets and ground forces to Benin at the request of its smaller neighbour.
The failed coup is the latest blow to democratic governance in West Africa, where recent military takeovers have occurred in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and, most recently, Guinea-Bissau.
A French presidential adviser said France provided “surveillance, observation and logistical support” to Benin’s forces as part of broader ECOWAS regional cooperation but declined to give operational details. President Emmanuel Macron spoke with the leaders of Nigeria and Benin over the weekend, the Elysée added.
France, which has pulled back from several West African countries following a wave of coups, has adopted a lower-profile approach and now focuses on supporting local governments rather than intervening directly.
Northern Benin has suffered repeated jihadist attacks, including major assaults in January and April that left dozens of soldiers dead. The coup plotters cited the worsening security in the north as justification for their attempt.