( CNN ) -- A U.S. citizen has been kidnapped in the West African nation of Benin , a U.S. State Department official said Sunday . The official , who asked not to be named given the sensitivity of the situation , said that U.S. diplomatic officials are providing `` consular assistance '' in the case . Authorities have not indicated when or under what circumstances the person was kidnapped , nor have they identified the abductee . `` Due to privacy considerations , we can not provide additional information , '' the official said . The former French colony of Benin is a country of about 9 million people that has a small coastline on the Gulf of Guinea . `` The United States and Benin have had an excellent history of relations in the years since Benin embraced democracy '' in 1990 , according to a U.S. State Department website .
Benin diplomatic officials are now ` ` consular assistance , '' a U.S. official said . It 's not clear when , where or why the person was detained . Benin is a country of about 9 million people in West Africa .