Benin ‘foiled’ coup attempt explained: Key updates, President Talon’s response, and more

Here is everything you need to know about the latest military coup attempt in Benin that President Patrice Talon claimed has been successfully 'foiled'.

Benin, a country in West Africa, witnessed a major political turmoil on Sunday, December 7, when a soldiers' group appeared on state TV to announce the dissolution of the Patrice Talon-led government in an apparent coup. Talon, however, announced later that they had thwarted the coup attempt and vowed to punish them.

Benin President Patrice Talon addresses the nation on state broadcaster after coup attempt, in Cotonou, Benin. (via REUTERS)

This was the latest in a string of military as well as attempted takeovers that rocked the West Africa region in the recent past. Last month, President Umaro Embalo was removed in a military coup in Guinea-Bissau after the election, where both he and his opposition candidate announced themselves as winners.

'Foiled' military coup attempt in Benin: 10 points

1. On Sunday morning, gunfire rang out across multiple neighbourhoods of Cotonou, a major commercial hub and Benin's biggest city. Several locals told Reuters that they heard gunshots as early as 8 AM (local time) and even saw police officers speeding past.

2. Soon after, a group of at least eight soldiers, with most of them holding weapons, appeared on the state television. They announced that a military committee, led by Colonel Tigri Pascal, decided to dissolve national institutions and suspend the country's constitution. Further, they stated that Benin's air, land, and maritime borders are being shut down.

3. The group of soldiers called themselves the "Military Committee for Refoundation," the Associated Press reported. In a statement, they said that the army is committed to providing people of the country "the hope of a truly new era, where fraternity, justice and work prevail". Highlighting the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin, they even talked about the "disregard and neglect of our fallen brothers-in-arms."

4. Later in the day, a video was released by Interior Minister Alassane Seidou on Facebook, where he said that the government and armed forces had successfully "foiled" the attempted coup, but did not provide any information about Talon, whose location remained unclear. Seidou said the "Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership, true to their oath, remained committed to the republic.”

5. Nearly 12 hours after the gunfire, Talon made his first public comments, as he condemned the attempted coup. He offered condolences to the "victims of this senseless adventure" and those who were still being held by the "fleeing mutineers”. The President stated that forces loyal to him "stood firm" and recaptured their positions t clear the last "pockets of resistance held by the mutineers". He further assured that this "treachery will not go unpunished."

6. Talon, who took office in 2016, has been credited with reviving the country's economy since he came to power. But his government has been criticized by the opposition for the rise in attacks by jihadist militants, which have wreaked havoc in both Mali and Burkina Faso. Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji, a government spokesperson, later in the day stated that 14 people were taken into custody in connection with the coup attempt.

7. To help Benin, Nigeria sent air force fighter jets at the Talon-led government's request. They took over Benin's airspace to remove the culprits from the military camp and the state TV network, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu's office said in a statement. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) deployed its standby force to Benin, which included troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the Ivory Coast, and Ghana.

8. Post its independence from France in 1960, Benin has seen multiple coups, with the successful attempt reported in 1972. It has witnessed political stability since 1991 following Mathieu Kérékou's two-decade rule. In January this year, two associates of Talon were sentenced to two decades in prison for an alleged 2024 coup plot.

9. The latest coup attempt comes months ahead of the presidential election in April 2026, which could mark the end of Talon's tenure. Recently, the country adopted a new constitution that extended the presidential mandate from five to seven years. The ruling coalition has named Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni as its candidate for the next year's polls. In an X post, the US Embassy in Cotonou said it was monitoring the situation in Benin and had suspended regular Consular appointments, including visa and passport services, for Monday, December 8, until further notice.

10. The opposition Democrats party, which was founded by Talon's predecessor, Thomas Boni Yayi, earlier saw its proposed candidate, Renaud Agbodjo, rejected by the electoral commission for not having sufficient backing from lawmakers.