Benin President Patrice Talon has declared that his government is firmly back in charge after security forces shut down an early-morning coup attempt that sent shockwaves through Cotonou and Porto-Novo. Speaking in a national broadcast on Sunday evening, he told citizens that the threat had been contained and that those behind the plot would face justice.
Talon appeared on state television beside senior commanders and described how a group of soldiers calling themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation seized key government locations at dawn. Their targets included the presidential residence in Porto-Novo and the national television station in Cotonou. Residents reported gunfire across several districts as the mutineers briefly took over the airwaves to claim that the president had been removed and state institutions dissolved.
Authorities identified the leader of the faction as Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri. The group claimed that rising insecurity in northern Benin and frustration within the ranks drove their actions. The rebellion, however, collapsed within hours. By midday, Interior Minister Alassane Seidou announced that loyal forces had retaken all occupied sites. Government spokesman Wilfried Léandre Houngbedji later confirmed that Talon was unharmed and that fourteen soldiers had been arrested while others were believed to be on the run.
In his address, Talon offered sympathy to families affected by the unrest and noted that some people were still unaccounted for, though he did not give casualty figures. He thanked the armed forces for what he called their steadfast commitment to the republic and assured the public that investigations were advancing.
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The coup attempt comes at a charged moment in Benin’s political life. Talon, in office since 2016, has pursued economic reforms that strengthened key export sectors but has also drawn criticism for restrictions on opposition groups. A recent parliamentary vote extended presidential terms from five to seven years, though the two-term limit stands. The move added to a tense atmosphere ahead of next year’s election, in which Talon’s preferred successor, former finance minister Romuald Wadagni, is seen as the leading contender.
Benin had long been regarded as one of the region’s more stable democracies. The scenes of armoured vehicles, deserted streets and a heavy troop presence marked a stark departure from that image and underlined the strain of Sahel-linked violence spreading southward. As calm gradually returned on Sunday night, authorities promised a full inquiry into the motives behind the mutiny. Talon closed his broadcast with a pledge that the republic would stand firm and that those who attempted to upend it would be held to account.
