Apparent coup attempt in Benin foiled, says interior minister

A coup d’état announced in Benin on Sunday has been “thwarted” by loyal soldiers, the West African nation’s interior minister said in a video on Facebook.

“In the early hours of Sunday, December 7, 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilizing the State and its institutions,” said Alassane Seidou. “In this situation, the Benin Armed Forces and its leaders, faithful to their oath, remained committed to the republic.”

Earlier on Sunday, a group of soldiers appeared on Benin state television to announce the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup, the latest of many in West Africa.

The group, which called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, announced the dismissal of President Patric Talon and all state institutions. Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri was named chairman of the military committee, the soldiers said.

Shortly afterward, eyewitnesses told News themezone partner BBC that they had heard gunshots and that some journalists from the state broadcaster were taken hostage.

The French embassy in Benin said in social media posts that gunfire had been reported near the president’s residence in the city of Cotonou. The Russian embassy in Benin urged its citizens to stay home for their safety.

The US embassy urged its citizens to stay away from Cotonou, especially the area around the presidential complex, following reports of gunfire and military activity.

While there has been no official word on Talon since the shots were heard, a presidential adviser told the BBC that the president is safe and at the French embassy.

The signal of state television and public radio, which was cut off, has already been restored. It was not immediately clear what happened to the military group.

Following its independence from France in 1960, the West African nation experienced multiple coups d’état, especially in the following decades. Since 1991, the country has enjoyed political stability following the two-decade rule of Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kérékou.

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

“ECOWAS strongly condemns this unconstitutional measure which represents a subversion of the will of the people of Benin…ECOWAS will support the Government and the people in all necessary ways 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 resign next April after the presidential election.

Talon’s party candidate, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is the favorite to win the election. The opposition candidate, Renaud Agbodjo, was rejected by the electoral commission for not having sufficient sponsors.

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

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

The coup is the latest in a series of military coups that have shaken West Africa. Last month, a military coup in Guinea-Bissau ousted former president Umaro Embalo after a disputed election in which both he and the opposition candidate were declared winners.