US EditionBenin Says Coup Attempt Foiled After Soldiers Seize State TV
Fourteen soldiers were arrested after loyalist forces regained control; regional standby troops from ECOWAS countries were deployed to support Benin's government.
- On December 7, 2025, soldiers broadcast on state television declaring that Patrice Talon, President of Benin, had been removed, but Beninese authorities said they foiled the attempt and Talon addressed the nation saying the situation was under control.
- Against a backdrop of security complaints, mutineers cited the continuous deterioration of the security situation in northern Benin and neglect of soldiers, following last month’s extension of the presidential term from five to seven years by Benin's legislature.
- Eight armed soldiers appeared on-screen carrying assault rifles to proclaim Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri as leader, and the state television signal was cut later Sunday morning.
- ECOWAS ordered immediate deployment of standby force elements to Benin, while Nigeria deployed troops and air force, with Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone pledging troop contributions.
- The incident adds to a regional pattern of coups, with Benin facing jihadist violence in the north and President Talon set to hand over power in April next year.
442 Articles
442 Articles
Faced with violence, the bishops of Benin plead for the ‘precious gift’ of peace and unity
In response to Sunday’s coup attempt in the Republic of Benin, Catholic Bishops in the tiny West African country have made the defense of peace and unity a key priority, describing national cohesion as a “precious gift” that must not be tempered with. In a release signed by the Archbishop Roger Houngbedji of Cotonou, the bishops expressed “grave concern’ at what happened. In the early hours of Dec. 7, a group of soldiers appeared on National Tel…
Benin’s failed coup: three factors behind the takeover attempt
Military elements attempted to topple Benin’s government in early December 2025. However, unlike other coups across the Sahel and west Africa since 2020, this bid triggered a military response from Benin’s neighbours. Benin is a west African state of 14.8 million people bordered by Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria. Responding to two requests for assistance from the government of President Patrice Talon, Nigeria deployed fighter jets and the…
Benin government says short-lived coup left casualties on both sides
Benin's government has said Sunday's short-lived coup left “casualties on both sides” of the government forces and the mutinous soldiers. The apparent leader of the coup also remains on the run. Government Secretary Edouard Ouin-Ouro said on Monday that the…
Cotonou, Benin. Several people died in Benin during Sunday's failed coup attempt, the government announced this Monday after an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers.A group of military men with rifles announced on Sunday morning on national television the dismissal of the president, Patrice Talon.The uniforms argued their operation for the “constant deterioration” of security in this small coastal country of West Africa, which in re…
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