Dieudonne Djimon Tevoedjre said Beninese troops were "truly valiant and faced the enemy all day", after a group of soldiers announced on state television that they had ousted President Patrice Talon early on Sunday.

"French special forces were sent from Abidjan, used for mopping up operations after the Beninese army had done the job," the commander added in a telephone interview.

On Tuesday, the French presidency said it had supported the authorities in Benin as part of a regional effort that included Nigerian air strikes against coup plotters.

An aide to President Emmanuel Macron said France provided "surveillance, observation and logistical support" assistance to the military, at the request of the government, without confirming or denying the presence of French troops.

Sunday's attempted coup came after a wave of military takeovers in west Africa, including in Benin's northern neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso.

The coups have severely eroded French influence and presence in its former colonies.