Benin’s Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said in a press release on Sunday that the country’s armed forces foiled the coup attempt. “In the early morning of Sunday, December 7, 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny to destabilize the state and its institutions,” said Alassane Seidou.
“In the face of this situation, the Benin armed forces and their leadership, true to their oath, have remained committed to the republic,” Seidou said, according to the AP.
Read also | US launches ‘New G20’ for 2026 – Why was SA cancelled? Which country is replacing it?
Earlier, residents of Cotonou, the economic capital, reported hearing gunfire after a group of soldiers claimed to have ousted President Patrice Talon. However, according to the president’s entourage, he remained unharmed.
Where is Benin?
Benin is a West African country located along the southern coast of the continent, bordering the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. It is located between Togo to the west and Nigeria to the east, while Burkina Faso and Niger lie to its north.
Its official capital is Porto-Novo, but Cotonou, located on the coast, serves as the economic center, the largest city and the de facto seat of government.
Read also | Sudan’s military coup draws thousands to the streets in protest
Formerly known as Dahomey during French colonial rule, Benin gained independence in 1960 and adopted the name Republic of Benin in 1975.
After gaining independence from France in 1960, the West African nation witnessed several upheavals, especially in the decades following independence. Since 1991, the country has been politically stable after two decades of rule by Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kérékou.
Why has Benin suddenly become the “talk of the town”?
Benin faced the threat of a military coup after a group of soldiers claimed to have removed the government led by President Patrice Talon, and the dissolution of the government after a quick takeover.
However, Benin government spokesman Wilfried Houngbedji told the Associated Press that everything was fine. Talon had been in power since 2016 and was due to step down next April after the presidential election.
A coup attempt in Benin has reportedly been foiled. (Photo: X)
Talon’s party pick, former finance minister Romuald Wadagni, was the favorite to win the election. The electoral commission rejected the opposition candidate Renaud Agbodja on the grounds that he did not have enough sponsors.
Read also | Archaeologist races to preserve Sudan’s heritage as war threatens to erase its cultural pastTOPSHOT – A woman crosses the street as motorists line an intersection in Cotonou following rumors of a possible coup in the country on December 7, 2025. Benin President Patrice Talon is safe and the military is regaining control after a group of AFP soldiers told him they had the power. (Photo: AFP)(AFP)Motorbike taxis carrying passengers stop at an intersection in Cotonou following rumors of a possible coup in the country December 7, 2025. Benin’s President Patrice Talon is safe and the army is regaining control after a group of soldiers said they ousted him, the presidency told AFP on Sunday. (Photo: AFP)(AFP)
In January, two Talon associates were sentenced to 20 years in prison for the alleged 2024 conspiracy.
Last month, the country’s legislature extended the presidential term from five to seven years, while keeping the two-year limit.
The coup is the latest in a series of military takeovers that have rocked West Africa. Last month, a military coup in Guinea-Bissau ousted former president Umar Embal after disputed elections in which he and an opposition candidate claimed victory.
How Talon leads Benin amid ‘failed’ military coup attempts?
Dubbed the “Cotton King” for his vast fortune amassed in the cotton trade, logistics and aviation sectors, Talon returned from self-imposed exile in 2015 to finance the opposition against then-President Boni Yayi, whom he accused of corruption.
He narrowly won the 2016 election with 65% of the vote amid allegations of fraud, then secured a second term in 2021 with 86% following electoral reforms that effectively blocked main opponents by requiring candidates to get support from 10% of MPs and mayors.
Read also | Latin American and African nations next in line to internationalize Indian rupees
According to a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), fiscal discipline has reduced debt vulnerability, with IMF support allowing poverty to fall from 40% to 36% of the population, although inequality persists in the north, where jihadist threats from Sahel neighbors such as Burkina Faso and Niger have intensified since 2019.
Talon has positioned Benin as a stable ECOWAS anchor, brokering a 2023 Niger coup and advocating regional integration while diversifying aid and trade relations with the US, EU and China.
(With input from agencies)
