A coup announced in Benin on Sunday has been “foiled,” the country’s Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, confirmed in a video.
“In the early morning of Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilizing the state and its institutions,” Seidou said. “Faced with this situation, the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership, true to their oath, remained committed to the republic.”
Earlier, soldiers calling themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation appeared on state television to declare the dissolution of the government, announcing the removal of President Patrice Talon and all state institutions. Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri was named head of the military committee.
The attempted coup marks the latest in a series of military interventions across West Africa. Benin, which gained independence from France in 1960, experienced multiple coups in its early decades, but has largely enjoyed political stability since 1991 following the two-decade rule of Marxist-Leninist leader Mathieu Kérékou.
Following the attempted coup, gunfire was reported around the presidential residence, and state television and public radio signals were temporarily cut. There has been no official update on President Talon’s whereabouts.
Talon, who has been in power since 2016, was due to step down next April after the presidential election. His party-backed candidate, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, was considered the frontrunner. Opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo was disqualified by the electoral commission for failing to meet sponsorship requirements.
This attempt comes after a turbulent year for the country. In January, two associates of Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison over an alleged coup plot in 2024, and last month, the legislature extended the presidential term from five to seven years while maintaining the two-term limit.
The incident is the latest in a string of coups in West Africa, following the recent military takeover in Guinea-Bissau that ousted former President Umaro Embalo after a contested election.
