Benin coup attempt foiled by loyalist troops, interior minister says
Benin’s interior minister appeared on national television to announce that a coup attempt in the West African country had been foiled.
Earlier, a group of soldiers, led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, broadcast a broadcast announcing that they had overthrown President Patrice Talon and suspended the constitution.
In social media posts, the French embassy in Benin said gunshots had been reported near the president’s residence in the main city of Cotonou, which is the seat of government. Eyewitnesses told the BBC they heard gunshots and that some journalists working for the public broadcaster were held hostage.
A presidential adviser has since told the BBC that the president is safe and at the French embassy.
“Early Sunday, December 7, 2025, a small group of soldiers started a mutiny aimed at destabilizing the State and its institutions,” declared Interior Minister Alassane Seidou.
“Faced with this situation, the Beninese armed forces and their leaders, faithful to their oath, remained committed to the republic. Their response allowed them to maintain control of the situation and thwart the attempt,” he declared.
“The government therefore calls on the population to go about their activities normally.”
Helicopters have been seen flying over Cotonou and roads are blocked with a heavy military presence on several streets in the city.
Benin, a former French colony, is considered one of the most stable democracies in Africa.
It is one of the largest cotton producers on the continent, but it ranks among the poorest countries in the world.
The French and Russian embassies urged their citizens to stay home for their safety.
The U.S. Embassy’s advice was to stay away from Cotonou, particularly the area around the presidential complex.
The soldiers behind the attempted coup justified their actions by criticizing President Talon’s management of the country.
“The army solemnly undertakes to give the Beninese people the hope of a truly new era, where fraternity, justice and work will reign,” indicates a press release read by one of the soldiers.
Talon, 67 and considered a close ally of the West, is due to step down next year after completing his second term, with elections due in April.
A businessman known as the “cotton king”, he first came to power in elections in 2016. He promised not to seek a third term and supported Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni as his successor.
Talon was praised by his supporters for overseeing economic development, but his government was also criticized for suppressing dissenting voices.
In October, the electoral commission banned the main opposition candidate from running on the grounds that he did not have enough sponsors.
Last month, several constitutional amendments were adopted by MPs, including the creation of a second parliamentary chamber, the Senate.
The mandate of elected officials was extended from five to seven years, but the limit of two presidential terms remained in force.
President Patrice Talon, a businessman nicknamed the “cotton king”, has announced his intention to step down next year after two terms. [AFP]
This attempted coup in Benin comes just over a week after the overthrow of Umaro Sissoco Embaló as president in neighboring Guinea-Bissau.
In recent years, several coups have taken place in West Africa, notably in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger, reinforcing fears of worsening security in the region.
Russia has strengthened its ties with these Sahel countries in recent years – and Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have left the West African regional bloc ECOWAS to form their own group, the Alliance of Sahel States.
According to BBC Monitoring, news of the coup attempt was welcomed by several pro-Russian influencer accounts on social media.
Benin has seen an increase in jihadist activity in recent years, as groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda have spread south.
ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) have condemned the latest coup attempt in Benin.
AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Yousouf reiterated the pan-African organization’s “zero tolerance stance towards any unconstitutional change of government, regardless of the context or justification.”
“It warns that these trends are eroding citizens’ trust in public institutions, weakening state authority and endangering collective security,” the AU statement said.
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