Benin coup attempt thwarted by soldiers loyal to the Republic, minister says

A coup that was announced in Benin on Sunday has been “foiled,” the country's interior minister said in a video on Facebook.

“In the early morning of Sunday, December 7, 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilising the state and its institutions,” Alassane Seidou said. “Faced with this situation, the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership, true to their oath, remained committed to the Republic. Their response allowed them to maintain control of the situation and thwart the attempt.”

Earlier, a group of soldiers had appeared on Benin’s state television and announced the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup.

The group, which called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, said the president had been removed and all state institutions dissolved. Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri was appointed president of the military committee, the soldiers said.

There has been no official news about President Patrice Talon since gunshots were heard around the presidential residence. However, the signal to the state television and public radio which was cut off has now been restored.

West Africa military takeovers

The coup is the latest in a string of military takeovers that have rocked West Africa. Last month, a military coup in Guinea-Bissau removed former President Umaro Embalo after a contested election in which both he and the opposition candidate declared themselves winners.

The regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), condemned the short-lived coup in a statement.

“ECOWAS strongly condemns this unconstitutional move that represents a subversion of the will of the people of Benin. ... ECOWAS will support the Government and the people in all forms necessary to defend the Constitution and the territorial integrity of Benin,” the bloc said in a statement.

Talon has been in power since 2016 and was due to step down next April after the presidential election.

Talon’s party pick, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is the favorite to win the election. Opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo was rejected by the electoral commission on the grounds that he did not have sufficient sponsors.

Last month, the country’s legislature extended the presidential term of office from five to seven years, keeping the term limit at two.

Following its independence from France in 1960, Benin nation witnessed multiple coups, especially in the decades following its independence. Since 1991, the country has been politically stable following the two-decade rule of Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kérékou.

In January, two associates of Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison for an alleged 2024 coup plot.