Benin: President Talon orders investigation after attack on civilians in Kaobagou

Beninese President Patrice Talon. (Illustrative image) Etienne LAURENT / POOL / AFP

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1 min

Following the killing on the night of May 2 to 15 of 600 civilians, according to several sources, by unidentified armed individuals in Kaobagou, commune of Kérou, <> kilometers in northern Benin, the Head of State Patrice Talon ordered an investigation. He wants to know what happened. Sanctions will intervene if deficiencies are found in the response system in place, warns the government spokesman.

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With our correspondent in Cotonou, Jean-Luc Aplogan

The government, which communicates very little on security issues, has allowed its spokesman to speak to the press about the tragedy.

After expressing the executive's pain and offering condolences to the nation and the bereaved families, Wilfried Houngbedji said that Patrice Talon ordered an investigation for two reasons: "Learn the lessons and also set in motion the sanctions measures against all the leaders of the security and defense forces and who would have failed in their duties.

He adds that the tragedy was avoidable, these are his words. Then, he explains: "The early warning mechanism put in place worked, there was certainly a failure in the chain of operations for the defense and security forces to deploy, and that's what shocks more.

Wilfried Houngbedji relies on the first reports made to the Head of State. They strongly suspect a failure, which may or may not be confirmed by the investigators' report.

Before its conclusions, we learned that the dismissal of the commissioner of Kaobagou, the locality where the tragedy occurred.

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Read on on the same topics:

• Benin
• Defense