A coup in Benin announced on Sunday, December 7, 2025, was quickly stopped, the country’s interior minister said.
“In the early morning, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny to destabilize the state and its institutions,” Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said in a Facebook video. “The Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership remained committed to the republic.”
Earlier, the group appeared on state TV claiming to dissolve the government. Calling themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation, the soldiers said they had removed the president and all state institutions. They named Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri as head of the committee.
President Talon’s Whereabouts Unknown
There has been no official update on President Patrice Talon since gunshots were reported near the presidential residence. State television and public radio signals, which were temporarily cut, have now been restored.
Talon has been in power since 2016 and was scheduled to step down after the presidential election in April 2026. His party’s candidate, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is widely expected to win. Opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo was disqualified for lacking enough sponsors.
Regional and International Reactions
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the attempted coup. In a statement, the bloc said: “ECOWAS strongly condemns this unconstitutional move that represents a subversion of the will of the people of Benin. We will support the Government and the people in all forms necessary to defend the Constitution and the territorial integrity of Benin.”
Political Context and Recent Tensions
Benin, which gained independence from France in 1960, experienced multiple coups in the decades that followed. Since 1991, it has enjoyed relative political stability under democratic rule.
Earlier this year, two associates of Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison over an alleged 2024 coup plot. In November, the legislature extended the presidential term from five to seven years while maintaining the two-term limit.
The foiled coup is the latest in a series of military takeovers in West Africa. Last month, a military coup in Guinea-Bissau removed President Umaro Embalo after a disputed election.