Jets Over Cotonou: Nigeria Intervenes Militarily in Benin to Foil Coup Attempt, Backs ECOWAS Order
Nigeria has launched a coordinated military intervention in the Republic of Benin following an attempted coup early Sunday morning, in what is now one of the region's most significant escalations in recent years. Image Source: Africa Fact Zone Acting on orders from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigerian armed forces — including Air Force fighter jets — were deployed to support the Beninese government after a group of soldiers attempted to overthrow President Patrice Talon’s administration. The Nigerian government confirmed that its air assets had entered Benin’s airspace to assist in stabilising key sites targeted by coup plotters. President Tinubu, in a public statement, said the Nigerian military acted under the framework of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, and that their role was to “help stabilise a neighbouring country” and defend constitutional order. The crisis unfolded after a group of soldiers appeared on state television early Sunday declaring...