A group of military personnel in Benin on Sunday announced that they had ousted President Patrice Talon, who is due to step down next April after 10 years in power.

Soldiers calling themselves the "Military Committee for Refoundation" (CMR), said on state television that they had met and decided that "Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic".

The soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri stormed the national television station on Sunday morning.

Talon's whereabouts were not immediately known. There were reports of gunfire near the president's official residence.

However, President Patrice Talon's office says the larger part of the army remains loyal to his government.

‘Small group’ of soldiers

President Talon is ''safe'' and the army is regaining control, the presidency told AFP on Sunday.

"This is a small group of people who only control the television," his office said. "The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure," it said.

Benin's Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari also told Reuters that national guards had regained control after a group of soldiers announced on state television that they had seized power.

"There is an attempt but the situation is under control. Now it's a small group of military. A large part of the army is still loyalist and we are taking over the situation," Adjadi said.

This comes amid a wave of military takeovers in West and Central Africa in recent years.

Last month, the army seized power in Guinea-Bissau, toppling President Umaru Embalo, as the country awaited outcome of tense presidential elections in which he was seeking a re-election.