A reported coup attempt in the Republic of Benin is quickly collapsing, according to a statement issued by the Presidency. Officials confirm that President Patrice Talon is safe and that loyalist forces are restoring order across the country.
The government minimized the significance of the attempted takeover, which was spearheaded by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri. Tigri appeared on state television early Sunday declaring himself leader of a newly formed “Military Committee for Refoundation” and announcing that the administration had been dissolved.
Presidential officials dismissed these claims, stressing that the mutineers held only the national broadcaster and not the levers of government. “This is a small group with control limited to the television station,” the Presidency said. “The legitimate armed forces are stabilizing the situation, and both the capital and the rest of the country remain secure.”
The broadcast by the dissident soldiers came on the morning of December 7, 2025, during which they claimed to have deposed all elected officials and suspended state institutions. Their declaration briefly raised uncertainty, but government forces quickly moved to counter the takeover.
President Talon—who has governed since 2016 and previously announced he would step down after the April 2026 presidential elections—was confirmed safe by authorities.
This incident follows earlier signs of tension within the security apparatus. In September 2024, Djimon Tevoedjre, then commander of the Republican Guard and the president’s chief security officer, was arrested in connection with an earlier plot against the government.
The foiled uprising now adds Benin to the growing list of West African nations grappling with attempts by military factions to challenge civilian authority, even as the region continues to advocate for democratic stability.
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