Military faction claims to oust Benin’s President, Government says attempt contained

A breakaway faction of Benin’s armed forces announced Sunday that it had removed President Patrice Talon from power, jolting one of West Africa’s most politically stable nations.

In a televised statement, soldiers identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR) said they convened and agreed to depose Talon, who is nearing the end of his second term after nearly ten years in office. The group appeared to be led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, reportedly the officer who oversaw the seizure of the national broadcaster earlier in the day.

Amid reports of gunfire near the presidential residence, Talon’s exact whereabouts were briefly uncertain.

Government Insists President Is Safe

The presidency swiftly responded, telling AFP that President Talon remained “safe” and that loyal security forces were working to reestablish control.

“This is a small group of people who only control the television,” the president’s office stated, asserting that the regular army was “regaining control” and that both the capital and the country were “completely secure.”

Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari later told Reuters that the national guard had retaken several critical sites. “There is an attempt, but the situation is under control,” he said, noting that the majority of the military remained loyal.

A Region Marked by Recent Coups

The attempted takeover comes amid a rising wave of military interventions across West and Central Africa. Just weeks earlier, soldiers in Guinea-Bissau ousted President Umaro Embaló during a period of political tension following elections.

Benin, often viewed as a bastion of democratic stability in the region, has not witnessed a successful coup since the 1970s.