A group of soldiers appeared on Benin's state TV Sunday and announced that they had taken over the government in a coup. They said they are from the Military Committee for Refoundation; they removed the president and all state institutions. The soldiers said Lt Col Pascal Tigri was appointed president of the military committee.
Signal to the state television and public radio were suspended immediately as the government announced that the coup was foiled. The signal was restored later. Interior minister Alassane Seidou came live on his Facebook and said the government is intact and the coup was foiled.
“In the early morning of Sunday, December 7, 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilizing 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.”
Gunshots were heard around the residence of president Patrice Talon and there has been no official news about the president's whereabouts. Talon has been in power since 2016 and was due to step down next April after the presidential election. In January, two associates of Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison for an alleged 2024 coup plot.
American embassy in Benin says 'monitoring' situation
The American Embassy in Benin said it was monitoring the situation and also called the reports of the coup "unconfirmed". The French Embassy in Benin also reported gunshots near the president's residence.
Who are the soldiers who appeared on TV? What is happening in Benin?
At least eight soldiers in fatigues appeared behind a newscaster's desk to announce the coup. But those visuals were not rebroadcast. After the government claimed that the coup was foiled, there was no further public claims from the soldiers. It was not known who was in charge in Benin.
Coups or attempts of coups are not new to the West African nation which got its independence from France in 1960. Since 1991, the country has been politically stable following the two-decade rule of Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kérékou.
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