Coup Attempt in Benin Thwarted: What Happened on December 7, 2025?

Coup Attempt Foiled in Benin

Cotonou: The interior minister announced on Facebook that a coup attempt in Benin has been successfully thwarted.

Alassane Seidou reported that early on the morning of December 7, 2025, a small faction of soldiers attempted a mutiny aimed at destabilizing the government and its institutions. He praised the Beninese Armed Forces for their loyalty to the republic during this crisis.

Earlier that day, a group of soldiers had appeared on state television claiming to dissolve the government, marking yet another coup in West Africa.

Identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation, they declared the removal of the president and all state institutions, appointing Lt Col Pascal Tigri as the committee's president.

Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Benin has experienced numerous coups, particularly in the years following its independence. However, the nation has enjoyed political stability since 1991 after the long rule of Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kérékou.

There has been no official update regarding President Patrice Talon since gunfire was reported near the presidential residence, although state television and public radio signals, which had been interrupted, have now resumed.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the brief coup attempt, stating, "ECOWAS strongly condemns this unconstitutional move that undermines the will of the people of Benin... We will support the Government and the people in all necessary forms to uphold the Constitution and territorial integrity of Benin."

President Talon, who has been in office since 2016, is expected to step down next April following the presidential elections.

His party's candidate, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is currently favored to win, while opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo was disqualified by the electoral commission for lacking sufficient sponsorship.

Earlier this year, two associates of Talon received 20-year prison sentences for allegedly plotting a coup in 2024.

Recently, the legislature extended the presidential term from five to seven years, while maintaining a two-term limit.

This coup attempt adds to a series of military takeovers that have shaken West Africa, including a recent coup in Guinea-Bissau that ousted former President Umaro Embalo after a disputed election.