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Benin foils attempted military coup, ECOWAS condemns action
(MENAFN) Benin’s President Patrice Talon announced that loyal security forces successfully stopped an attempted coup by a small group of mutinous soldiers, reports indicate. The regional bloc ECOWAS condemned the effort as “unconstitutional” and a subversion of the people’s will.
On Sunday, the rebels briefly seized control of state television, announcing Talon’s removal and the suspension of the constitution. They declared state institutions dissolved, ordered the closure of airspace and land borders, and appointed Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri to lead a new Military Committee for Refoundation. The soldiers cited worsening security in northern Benin and alleged neglect of their “fallen brothers-in-arms.” Gunfire was reported near the presidential residence and across several Cotonou neighborhoods, prompting embassies to advise foreign nationals to remain indoors.
President Talon later appeared on national television, stating that loyal forces had “cleared the last pockets of resistance held by the mutineers.” He attributed the attempt to “a small group of soldiers” seeking to destabilize the government using “false claims.” Talon expressed concern for the “victims of this senseless adventure” and those still in the mutineers’ hands, vowing that “the wrongdoing will not go unpunished.” Authorities reported 14 arrests linked to the plot.
The coup attempt occurs months ahead of the presidential election scheduled for April 12, 2026, which is expected to conclude Talon’s second term in office. Talon has governed Benin since 2016.
This marks the first coup attempt in Benin since a successful takeover in 1972 and comes amid a wave of military interventions across West Africa since 2020, including recent overthrows in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Guinea-Bissau. ECOWAS has ordered a standby force from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Ghana to assist the Beninese army in maintaining constitutional order and territorial integrity.
On Sunday, the rebels briefly seized control of state television, announcing Talon’s removal and the suspension of the constitution. They declared state institutions dissolved, ordered the closure of airspace and land borders, and appointed Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri to lead a new Military Committee for Refoundation. The soldiers cited worsening security in northern Benin and alleged neglect of their “fallen brothers-in-arms.” Gunfire was reported near the presidential residence and across several Cotonou neighborhoods, prompting embassies to advise foreign nationals to remain indoors.
President Talon later appeared on national television, stating that loyal forces had “cleared the last pockets of resistance held by the mutineers.” He attributed the attempt to “a small group of soldiers” seeking to destabilize the government using “false claims.” Talon expressed concern for the “victims of this senseless adventure” and those still in the mutineers’ hands, vowing that “the wrongdoing will not go unpunished.” Authorities reported 14 arrests linked to the plot.
The coup attempt occurs months ahead of the presidential election scheduled for April 12, 2026, which is expected to conclude Talon’s second term in office. Talon has governed Benin since 2016.
This marks the first coup attempt in Benin since a successful takeover in 1972 and comes amid a wave of military interventions across West Africa since 2020, including recent overthrows in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gabon, and Guinea-Bissau. ECOWAS has ordered a standby force from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Ghana to assist the Beninese army in maintaining constitutional order and territorial integrity.
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