The Benin Republic presidency has confirmed that President Patrice Talon is safe and that the “regular” army is regaining control, following an attempted coup early Sunday by a faction of soldiers.
Gunfire was reported near the president’s residence as armoured vehicles patrolled the presidential palace grounds. The group, calling itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, claimed that President Talon and all political officeholders had been removed and that all state institutions were dissolved.
Talon, who has led the country since 2016, had earlier promised to step down after the April 2026 presidential election. In September 2024, Djimon Tevoedjre, commander of the Republican Guard and head of Talon’s security, was arrested over a prior attempted coup.
In an official statement, the presidency dismissed the takeover as the work of “a small group of people who only control the television,” assuring citizens that the city and country remain fully secure.
The incident comes amid a wave of military interventions in West Africa since 2020. Last month, Guinea-Bissau’s military seized power after a disputed election in which both President Umaro Embaló and his main opponent, Fernando Dias, claimed victory before official results were released.
Other West African nations currently under military rule include Burkina Faso (2022), Guinea (2021), Mali (2020), and Niger (2023).
