Benin's Armed Forces Say They Foiled Attempted Coup Today
Benin's government says its armed forces thwarted a brief coup bid after armed soldiers seized state television and announced a takeover, a dramatic interruption ahead of a contested presidential transition. The episode highlights rising instability across West Africa and raises fresh questions about security, political legitimacy and regional responses as Benin heads toward elections in April.
At least eight soldiers appeared on state television in Cotonou on Sunday morning claiming to have seized power, but by early afternoon officials said loyal forces had retaken control and that the attempt had been foiled. The soldiers read a statement on air announcing the dissolution of national institutions, the suspension of the constitution and the closure of air, land and maritime borders. "The army solemnly commits to give the Beninese people the hope of a truly new era, where fraternity, justice and work prevail," one of the soldiers said on the broadcast.
Within hours the government moved to reassure the public and to reassert order. Interior Minister Alassane Seidou told citizens that the attempt had been thwarted and urged people "to go about their business as usual." A government spokesperson, Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji, said 14 people had been arrested in connection with the episode by Sunday afternoon. Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari described the action as the work of "a small group" of soldiers and said forces loyal to President Patrice Talon were working to restore order.
Gunfire was heard in several neighborhoods of Cotonou early on Sunday as residents tried to reach morning services, and the French embassy reported shots near the president's residence while urging citizens to remain at home. Police were later deployed at major intersections in the city center and witnesses said the shooting had subsided by early afternoon. State television was briefly taken off the air after the soldiers read their statement, then resumed broadcasting and carried the interior minister's statement that the bid had been foiled.
The attempted takeover comes amid a wave of military interventions across the Sahel and coastal West Africa in recent years that now touch several of Benin's neighbors. Militaries seized power in Niger and Burkina Faso, and coups have taken place in Mali, Guinea and, only last month, Guinea Bissau. Regional bodies swiftly condemned the incident, with the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union denouncing the bid.
Benin is preparing for a presidential election in April that will mark the end of President Talon's second term, and the episode risks complicating an already tense political calendar. Talon has been credited with economic revival in the largely francophone nation, but northern Benin has suffered a rise in violence from jihadist militants that operate across porous borders in the region. The soldiers on television cited a deteriorating security situation in the north and grievances about casualties among the security forces.
International reaction is likely to center on support for constitutional order and pressure for restraint from all sides. For Benin, a relatively stable democracy for decades, the incident will test institutions, public confidence and the capacity of regional partners to deter military takeovers. Authorities have said investigations and prosecutions are under way as they seek to restore calm ahead of the presidential vote.
