Benin’s Interior Minister announced on Sunday that a military coup attempt has been thwarted after a small group of soldiers briefly seized the state broadcaster and declared the government dissolved.
In a video statement posted on Facebook, Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said the plotters had attempted to “destabilise the state and its institutions” in the early hours of 7 December.
“The Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership, true to their oath, remained committed to the republic,” he said, stressing that loyalist troops quickly regained control.
Earlier in the day, a group of soldiers identifying themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” appeared on state-run television, announcing the removal of President Patrice Talon, the dissolution of all state institutions, and the appointment of Pascal Tigri as head of a military governing council.
Shortly after the broadcast, gunfire was reported near the presidential residence, and transmission from state TV and public radio was cut. Both have since been restored. There has been no official information on President Talon’s whereabouts as of Sunday afternoon.
A Region Shaken by Repeated Coups
The attempted takeover in Benin comes amid a wave of recent military coups across West Africa, including last month’s successful power grab in Guinea-Bissau, where former President Umaro Embaló was removed after a disputed election.
Benin, once known as one of the region’s more stable democracies, had experienced several coups in its early post-independence years. However, the country has largely maintained political stability since 1991, following the long rule of Marxist-Leninist leader Mathieu Kérékou.
ECOWAS Condemns the Coup Attempt
The regional bloc ECOWAS issued a swift and firm condemnation, calling the coup attempt “an unconstitutional move” and a “subversion of the will of the people of Benin.”
The organisation pledged to support Benin’s government “in all forms necessary to defend the Constitution and the country’s territorial integrity.”
Talon Expected to Step Down in April
President Talon, who has ruled since 2016, is due to leave office in April following the upcoming presidential election. His party’s candidate, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is widely seen as the frontrunner.
Opposition hopeful Renaud Agbodjo was barred from running after the electoral commission ruled he lacked sufficient endorsements — a decision that critics say reflects the increasingly restrictive political environment in the country.
Last month, lawmakers approved a constitutional change extending the presidential term from five to seven years, though the two-term limit remains in place.
