by Lovely Onohwakpor
Soldiers Claim to Oust Benin’s President Talon, Government Says Coup Attempt Contained
A military faction in Benin announced Sunday that it had removed President Patrice Talon from power, but the president’s entourage insisted he remained safe and that loyalist forces were swiftly restoring control.
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Military personnel identifying themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR) appeared on state television on Sunday, declaring that they had met and agreed to depose President Patrice Talon. The group provided no details about its leaders or the extent of its control.
The attempted takeover comes amid a wave of recent coups across West and Central Africa, including military seizures of power in Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in the past two months. Benin shares borders with Niger and Burkina Faso—two countries that have also experienced military rule following recent coups.
The French Embassy in Benin reported gunfire at Camp Guezo, near the president’s official residence in the economic hub of Cotonou, and advised French nationals to remain indoors.
Despite the televised announcement, Talon’s office told AFP that the president—who has led the country for a decade and is expected to leave office in April—was unharmed.
“This is a small group of people who only control the television. The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure,” the presidency said.
Benin has a long history of coups and attempted coups, though the country had been regarded as relatively stable in recent years. Talon, 67, a wealthy businessman known as the “cotton king,” first took office in 2016 and is constitutionally limited to two terms, set to end in 2026.
His tenure has brought economic growth, but critics accuse him of tightening his grip on political life. The main opposition party has been barred from contesting the upcoming election to choose his successor, leaving a divided field between the ruling party and a self-described “moderate” opposition bloc.
