Benin’s Interior Minister Alassane Seidou says a coup attempt announced earlier on Sunday has been “foiled,” describing the incident as a mutiny by a small group of soldiers trying to destabilise the state and its institutions.
In a video posted on social media, Seidou said the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership “remained committed to the republic,” and acted to contain the situation.
Earlier in the day, soldiers appeared on state television claiming to have dissolved the government. The group, which called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, said it had removed all state institutions and appointed Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri as the head of the military committee. The signal to state television and public radio was cut shortly after the announcement.
Gunshots were heard around the presidential residence in Cotonou, and there has been no official update on President Patrice Talon’s whereabouts. Talon has been in office since 2016 and is scheduled to step down next April after the presidential election.
The turmoil unfolded against a wider backdrop of regional instability. West Africa has faced repeated coups in recent years, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Benin, which gained independence from France in 1960, has also experienced several coups and attempted coups over the decades. In January, two associates of President Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison over an alleged 2024 coup plot.
ECOWAS reacted sharply to the latest events, condemning the attempted military takeover and calling for full respect for Benin’s Constitution. The bloc said it received the news with dismay and pledged support to the Government and the people of Benin.
According to Talon’s entourage, the president was safe. They described the mutiny as the work of a small group of soldiers who briefly seized the state broadcaster, adding that the regular army was regaining control and the city remained secure. A military source also said the situation was under control and the plotters had not taken either the presidential residence or offices.
The French Embassy reported gunfire near Camp Guezo, close to Talon’s official residence, and asked French nationals to remain indoors. Security sources later confirmed that about a dozen soldiers had been arrested, including alleged ringleaders and one former serviceman.
ECOWAS praised the Government and the Republican Army for containing the situation and warned that those behind the failed operation would be held individually and collectively responsible for any loss of life or property. The bloc said it would support Benin in all necessary ways to defend its territorial integrity.
Talon, a 67-year-old former businessman known as the cotton king of Cotonou, has governed for ten years. His administration has overseen notable economic growth while also drawing criticism from opponents who accuse him of tightening political space. With the main opposition party excluded from the coming election, the ruling party is expected to face what has been described as a moderate opposition.