Benins government said on Sunday its armed forces had foiled a coup attempt after a group of soldiers in the West African nation claimed on national television to have seized power .
The attempted coup was the latest threat to democratic rule in the region, where the military have in recent years seized power in Benins neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as Mali, Guinea and, only last month, Guinea-Bissau.
At least eight soldiers, several holding weapons, went on state television on Sunday morning to announce that a military committee led by Colonel Tigri Pascal had taken over and was dissolving national institutions, suspending the constitution closing air, land and maritime borders.
