Benin was thrown into uncertainty in the early hours of Sunday after a group of soldiers appeared on state television to announce the dissolution of the government and claimed that President Patrice Talon had been “removed from office” in what appears to be an unfolding military coup.
The soldiers, who identified themselves as members of a body they called the Military Committee for Refoundation, declared that all state institutions had been suspended and that they were assuming control of the West African nation “to restore order.”
State television interrupted regular programming to broadcast footage of heavily armed, uniformed men reading from a prepared statement. The officers accused the civilian authorities of mismanaging the country and insisted the military had stepped in as a corrective force. Independent verification of their claims was not immediately possible.
The broadcast followed reports of an armed assault on President Talon’s residence in Porto-Novo, Benin’s capital, in the early hours of Sunday. The operation was reportedly led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, who is said to have mobilised loyal troops to attack the presidential compound before moving on to seize the national broadcaster’s facilities.
Details of the confrontation around the residence remain sketchy. It was not immediately clear whether there were casualties during the attack or whether any of the president’s personal guards resisted the operation.
Hours after the televised declaration, the fate and whereabouts of President Talon were still unknown. The soldiers did not present the president in their broadcast, nor did they provide evidence that he was in custody or had left the country. The situation in the capital remained tense as residents stayed glued to their televisions and radios for updates.
There was no immediate official statement from the presidency or from senior figures in the regular army command, and foreign governments and regional bodies had yet to issue full reactions at the time of this report.
In its statement, the Military Committee for Refoundation announced the “removal of the president and all state institutions”, suggesting that the National Assembly, Constitutional Court, and other organs of state power had been sidelined.
The officers promised to unveil further measures “in the coming hours,” including what they described as arrangements for maintaining security, governing the country, and dealing with existing international commitments. They also urged the population to remain calm and to avoid gatherings that could “disrupt public order.”
As of Sunday morning, there was no indication of large-scale street protests either in Porto-Novo or in the commercial hub, Cotonou. However, residents reported a heavy security presence in key areas and around strategic infrastructure.
If confirmed, the attempted takeover in Benin would add the country to a growing list of West and Central African states where military officers have tried to unseat civilian governments in recent years, deepening concerns about democratic backsliding across the region.
Until now, Benin had largely been viewed as relatively stable, even as critics accused President Talon’s administration of tightening its grip on political life and squeezing the opposition.