Benin authorities have arrested around a dozen soldiers, including key ringleaders, following a failed coup attempt on December 7, 2025, where mutinous troops briefly seized state television to announce President Patrice Talon’s overthrow. Military and security sources confirmed to AFP that 13 arrests were made, with all detainees being active-duty soldiers except one ex-military member. The plot unraveled quickly as loyalist forces regained control, marking another flashpoint in West Africa’s recent wave of instability.
In the pre-dawn hours, soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri attacked Talon’s residence in Porto-Novo and seized the national broadcaster, declaring on state television that Talon had been “removed from office as president of the republic.” Identifying as the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR), the group suspended the constitution, state institutions, and political parties, while closing all borders, citing Talon’s governance as the justification for the action. Gunfire echoed near Cotonou’s port and presidential areas, with helicopters overhead, prompting the U.S. Embassy to urge citizens to avoid those zones.
Benin’s Foreign Minister Shegun Adjadi Bakari told Reuters that “there is a coup attempt but the situation is under control,” emphasizing that “a large part of the army [and] the national guard are still loyal to the president and are controlling the situation.” Interior Minister Alassane Seidou later announced in a video statement that the Armed Forces thwarted the attempt at 11:09 a.m., stating the soldiers had “engaged in mutiny to destabil[ize] the state and its institutions,” but loyal forces “remained aligned with the republic” to maintain control.
Loyal troops secured streets around the presidential residence after the broadcast was cut, confirming Talon was safe though his exact location stayed undisclosed.
This incident echoes prior unrest in Benin and follows coups in neighbors like Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea, underscoring ongoing democratic challenges in the region.
