Coup attempt in Benin as presidency claims control
attempted coup in Benin: presidency insists on maintaining control
a group of soldiers declared they had removed president patrice talon from power on sunday morning via Benin’s public television, though authorities quickly denied the claim.
Benin was set to hold its presidential election in april, where president patrice talon was due to step down after completing two terms, the constitutional limit. the west african nation has experienced rapid economic growth but continues to face security challenges, including jihadist violence in its northern regions.
the region has seen a surge in coups in recent years, with successful takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, and most recently Guinea-bissau in late november.
on sunday morning, a faction calling itself the “military committee for refoundation” (cmr) declared on Benin’s public television that they had “removed patrice talon from office.” the broadcast signal was later cut.
shortly after the announcement, a source close to the presidency told afp that president talon was safe and that regular military forces were regaining control of the situation.
“it is a small group that only has access to the television station. the regular army is taking back control. the city of Cotonou and the country are fully secure,” the source stated.
the french embassy in Benin reported on x (formerly twitter) that gunfire had been heard near the president’s residence in Cotonou and advised french citizens to stay indoors for safety.
a military source confirmed that the situation was “under control” and that the putschists had not seized either the president’s residence or the presidential palace.
“it is only a matter of time before order is restored. the cleanup operation is proceeding smoothly,” the source added.
Benin’s political history has been marked by multiple coups and attempted overthrows. patrice talon, who has been in power since 2016, was expected to complete his second term in 2026, adhering to the constitutional two-term limit.
while talon is credited with driving economic development, critics accuse him of steering the country toward authoritarianism, despite Benin’s previously strong democratic reputation.
the main opposition party has been excluded from the upcoming election, which will feature the ruling party and a self-described “moderate” opponent.