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Coup Attempt in Benin Foiled, Government Says
COTONOU, Benin – A reported coup attempt in the West African nation of Benin on Sunday, December 7, 2025, has been “foiled,” according to the country’s interior minister.
In a video statement, Interior Minister Alassane Seidou announced that “a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilizing the state and its institutions” in the early hours of Sunday. Seidou affirmed that the Beninese Armed Forces “remained committed to the republic,” effectively quashing the attempted takeover.
Earlier in the day, a group identifying themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” appeared on Benin’s state television, declaring the dissolution of the government and all state institutions. They announced that Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri had been appointed as the committee’s president. Following this broadcast, the signals for state television and public radio were cut.
There has been no official communication regarding President Patrice Talon since reports of gunshots near the presidential residence surfaced. Talon, who has been in power since 2016, was scheduled to conclude his term next April after the upcoming presidential election.
Benin has a history of political instability, particularly in the decades following its independence from France in 1960. However, the nation has largely maintained political stability since 1991, following the two-decade rule of Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kérékou.
The country’s electoral commission recently rejected opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo, citing insufficient sponsors, leaving former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, Talon’s party’s chosen candidate, as the frontrunner for the next presidential election.
This incident follows a recent extension of the presidential term from five to seven years by Benin’s legislature, while maintaining the two-term limit. In January of this year, two individuals associated with President Talon received 20-year prison sentences for their alleged involvement in a separate coup plot in 2024.
Benin’s attempted coup marks the latest in a series of military takeovers that have destabilized the West African region. Last month, Guinea-Bissau experienced a military coup that removed former President Umaro Embalo amidst a disputed election.