Soldiers from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana are being sent to Benin after West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS ordered the immediate deployment of elements of its standby force to the country following an attempted coup on Sunday. Addressing the nation on state TV, Benin President
Summary
- Benin’s interior minister says armed forces thwart coup attempt
- African Union ‘unequivocally condemns’ attempted coup in Benin
- Benin arrests a dozen soldiers over coup attempt: military and security sources
- Paris formally denies sheltering Benin officials in French embassy
- ‘The situation is totally under control’, Talon says on state TV following coup attempt
- West Africa’s ECOWAS bloc orders deployment of standby force to Benin
08/12/2025 00:50
Benin’s president condemns a foiled coup bid
Benin President Patrice Talon on Sunday condemned an attempted coup that was foiled by the country’s army in his first public comments since sporadic gunfire was heard in parts of the administrative capital, Cotonou.
A group of soldiers appeared on Benin ’s state TV earlier Sunday to announce the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup, which would have been the latest of many in West Africa. The group called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation.
Later, Interior Minister Alassane Seidou announced in a video on Facebook that the attempted coup had been “foiled,” but Talon, whose location was unclear, did not comment.
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07/12/2025 23:50
Nigerian president’s office confirms deployment of fighter jets and ground troops to Benin
Nigeria sent air force fighter jets to take over Benin’s airspace at the request of President Patrice Talon’s government to help dislodge the coup plotters from the state television network and a military camp, a statement from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s office said.
Nigeria has also sent ground troops, the statement said.
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07/12/2025 23:21
‘If there’s a coup, then ECOWAS will be willing to step in’: West Africa bloc orders troops to Benin
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07/12/2025 21:55
Nigeria’s air force conducting operations in Benin, spokesperson says
Nigeria’s air force has “operated” in Benin as Beninese authorities work to contain a coup attempt, an air force spokesperson said.
“The Nigerian Air Force has operated in the Republic of Benin in line with ECOWAS protocols and the ECOWAS Standby Force mandate,” Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said.
The West African regional bloc earlier said it was ordering the immediate deployment of “elements” of its standby force following the coup attempt.
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07/12/2025 21:49
West Africa’s ECOWAS bloc orders deployment of standby force to Benin
West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS said it has ordered the immediate deployment of elements of its standby force to Benin following a foiled coup attempt in the country.
Soldiers from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana are being sent to “support the Government and the Republican Army of Benin to preserve constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin”, the bloc said in a statement.
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07/12/2025 21:37
‘This treachery will not go unpunished’, Benin’s president says in TV address
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07/12/2025 21:35
‘The situation is totally under control’, Talon says on state TV following coup attempt
After an awkward few moments where the Bénin Télévision presenter was forced to stall for time by playing news packages on local sport and cultural events, Benin’s President Patrice Talon appeared on state TV to address the nation for the first time following an attempted coup.
Talon said that a small group of soldiers had attacked the country’s state institutions, but claimed that the situation was “totally under control”.
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07/12/2025 21:35
Talon says “a group of soldiers” attacked Benin’s state institutions
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07/12/2025 21:33
Benin’s President Patrice Talon appears on state TV following attempted coup
Benin’s President Patrice Talon is speaking on state television, his first appearance since being targeted by an attempted coup earlier in the day.
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07/12/2025 19:17
‘Everything is slowly getting back to business as usual’: Benin government claims to have thwarted coup
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07/12/2025 19:12
Paris formally denies sheltering Benin officials in French embassy
France has formally denied rumours that Benin government officials sought refuge in its embassy in Cotonou during Sunday’s coup attempt, foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said in a social media post.
Confavreux said that Paris was closely monitoring the situation and that it was calling on French nationals in Benin to remain in their homes.
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07/12/2025 18:41
‘This will be a test to its institutions’: What does the coup attempt mean for Benin’s future?
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07/12/2025 17:46
Beninese troops patrol outside the country’s radio and television station headquarters
Beninese soldiers take up positions in front of the headquarters of Benin’s radio and television station in Cotonou. Photo: Charles Placide Tossou, Reuters
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07/12/2025 16:43
Fourteen arrested over Benin coup attempt, government spokesperson says
Fourteen people have been arrested in connection with an attempted coup in Benin, a government spokesperson told Reuters.
Military and security sources earlier told AFP that 13 soldiers had been arrested for allegedly taking part in the coup attempt.
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07/12/2025 15:41
Benin arrests a dozen soldiers over coup attempt: military and security sources
Around a dozen soldiers have been arrested in Benin following an attempted coup, including the ringleaders of the foiled operation, military and security sources told AFP.
One source said 13 arrests had been made, with another adding that all the detainees were soldiers in active service except one who was ex-military.
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07/12/2025 14:23
FRANCE 24 takes a look back at the morning’s events in Benin
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07/12/2025 14:22
African Union ‘unequivocally condemns’ attempted coup in Benin
The African Union (AU), the African continent’s main political and diplomatic body, on Sunday “strongly and unequivocally” condemned the attempted coup in Benin, a statement from AU Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ali Yousouf said.
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07/12/2025 13:49
West Africa’s ECOWAS bloc ‘strongly condemns’ attempted military coup
West Africa’s ECOWAS bloc said in a statement that it strongly condemned the attempted military coup in Benin and would support efforts by the government to restore order.
“ECOWAS strongly condemns this unconstitutional move that represents a subversion of the will of the people of Benin … ECOWAS will support the Government and the people in all forms necessary, including the deployment of the regional standby force, to defend the Constitution and the territorial integrity of Benin,” the bloc said in a statement.
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07/12/2025 13:24
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07/12/2025 13:09
Benin’s interior minister says armed forces thwart coup attempt
Benin’s interior minister, Alassane Seidou, said in a statement on Sunday that the West African country’s armed forces had thwarted an attempted coup.
“A small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilising the country and its institutions,” he said.
“Faced with this situation, the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership maintained control of the situation and foiled the attempt.”
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07/12/2025 12:46
Shots heard in Cotonou after coup attempt
Shots have been heard in Cotonou, witnesses report.
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07/12/2025 12:39
‘Clean-up progressing well’, military source says
“It’s just a matter of time before everything returns to normal. The clean-up is progressing well,” a military source told the AFP news agency.
According to the source, the coup plotters have not taken control of either Patrice Talon’s residence or the presidential offices.
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07/12/2025 12:35
Access to presidency, state TV blocked, no military presence at airport
According to an AFP journalist in Cotonou, soldiers are still blocking access to the presidency and state television. Access to several other areas, including the five-star Sofitel in Cotonou and districts housing international institutions, are also blocked.
There is no military presence reported at the airport and the rest of the city, however, and residents are going about their business.
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07/12/2025 12:28
Who is President Patrice Talon?
Patrice Talon, a 67-year-old former businessman dubbed the “cotton king of Cotonou”, has been in power since 2016 and is due to step down in April next year, after reaching the end of his second term.
His 10 years in office have been marked by solid economic growth but also a surge in jihadist violence.
While supporters praise him for bringing economic development to the country, critics regularly accuse him of authoritarianism.
Ahead of the 2026 elections, Talon’s party pick, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, has been the favorite to succeed him. The main opposition candidate, Renaud Agbodjo, was rejected by the electoral commission on the grounds that he did not have sufficient sponsors.
Last month, Benin’s legislature extended the presidential term of office from five to seven years, keeping the term limit at two.
📷 Eraldo Peres, AP
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07/12/2025 12:14
Benin: A fertile ground for coups post-independence and before 1991
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07/12/2025 12:10
President Talon ‘safe’, his office says
According to the Patrice Talon’s office, the president is “safe”.
His whereabouts have not been communicated, however.
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07/12/2025 12:07
Third African coup attempt in three months
The apparent attempt to overthrow the Beninese government follows two coups in Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in as many months.
Benin is bordered in the north by Niger and Burkina Faso, which have also seen military takeovers.
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07/12/2025 12:03
Benin’s foreign minister claims situation ‘under control’
Later on Sunday morning, Benin’s Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari said that loyalist soldiers and national guards had regained control.
“There is an attempt but the situation is under control. Now it’s a small group of military. A large part of the army is still loyalist and we are taking over the situation,” he said.
He added that the coup plotters had only taken control of state TV and that the signal had been cut for several minutes.
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07/12/2025 12:01
Group of soldiers claim Benin’s president ‘removed from office’
A group of soldiers early on Sunday appeared on Benin’s state television claiming to have ousted President Patrice Talon from office and dissolved all state institutions.
According to information obtained by FRANCE 24, the coup attempt began in the early hours of Sunday, with an attack on President Patrice Talon’s official residence in Cotonou.
The French Embassy said on X that “gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo” near the Talon’s home and urged French citizens to remain indoors for security.
In their television appearance, the soldiers – allegedly led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri – then read out a statement, declaring they had removed the president from power.
“The army solemnly commits to give the Beninese people the hope of a truly new era, where fraternity, justice and work prevail.”
(C) REUTERS
