The government of Benin Republic on Sunday announced that it had crushed an attempted coup after a group of armed soldiers briefly seized the state television station and declared President Patrice Talon removed from office.
Tension swept through the commercial capital, Cotonou, after the dissident troops, operating under the name Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR), appeared on national television in the early hours of Sunday, claiming to have overthrown the 67-year-old leader.
Clad in mixed military fatigues and wielding assault rifles, the eight-man squad said it had resolved that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as President of the Republic,” accusing the government of mishandling security in northern Benin, neglecting fallen soldiers’ families, and promoting officers unjustly.
But the government quickly dismissed the declaration, assuring citizens that the coup attempt had been contained.
A senior official close to President Talon told AFP that the plotters were merely “a small group of people who only control the television.”
“The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure,” the source said, adding that security forces were engaged in “clean-up operations” to restore full normalcy.
Despite the government’s assurances, confusion persisted across parts of Cotonou on Sunday morning.
AFP correspondents reported sporadic gunfire near strategic locations while soldiers blocked access to the presidential offices and some key installations, including areas around the upscale Sofitel Hotel and several international organisations.
Motorists were turned back at multiple checkpoints, and long lines of vehicles — including trucks transporting onions and other produce — built up on major roads as residents attempted to navigate the disruptions.
However, other neighbourhoods continued business as usual, even as uncertainty lingered.
No military presence was reported at the international airport, and flights were not immediately affected.
Interior Minister Alassane Seidou condemned the broadcast declaration as “a mutiny” aimed at destabilising Benin’s democratic institutions.
“Faced with this situation, the Armed Forces maintained control and foiled the attempt,” he said, insisting that state authority had not shifted.
Security sources later confirmed that the renegade troops had not succeeded in capturing either President Talon’s residence or the presidential palace.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) swiftly rejected the soldiers’ claims, describing the attempted takeover as “unconstitutional” and “a subversion of the will of the Beninese people.”
Benin has long been considered one of West Africa’s more stable democracies, but the region has witnessed a string of coups in recent years — including in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and most recently Guinea-Bissau.
President Talon, a wealthy businessman widely known as the “cotton king of Cotonou,” is expected to hand over power in April 2026 when his second and final term expires. His decade in office has been marked by economic growth alongside rising jihadist attacks in northern regions.
His critics accuse him of tightening political control, a claim the government denies. The main opposition party has already been excluded from participating in next year’s succession race, setting the stage for a likely contest between the ruling party and a moderate opposition bloc.
The government has not yet announced arrests linked to Sunday’s attempted coup, though security operations were still underway at the time of filing this report.
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