Live

Benin’s gov't says it thwarted coup attempt after troops declared takeover

Benin’s gov't says it thwarted coup attempt after troops declared takeover
By Nils Adler
Published On 7 Dec 2025

This live page is now closed.

7 Dec 2025 - 15:00
 (15:00 GMT)

It’s a wrap from us

Thank you for joining our live coverage of an attempted coup in Benin by a group of soldiers that has been foiled by the country’s armed forces, according to the government.

You can read our up-to-date article on the attempted coup here.

And you can watch how it all played out here.

7 Dec 2025 - 14:45
 (14:45 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We’ll be closing this live page soon, so here are the day’s main developments:

  • A group of soldiers appeared on Benin’s national television on Sunday morning, claiming to have seized power.
  • The group, which called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, announced the removal of President Patrice Talon and all state institutions.
  • Shortly after the soldiers’ declaration, a source close to Talon told AFP the president was safe and the regular army was regaining control.
  • Interior Minister Alassane Seidou later said in a video statement that Benin’s armed forces had thwarted the attempted coup, urging the population “to go about their business as usual”.
  • The Economic Community of West African States and the African Union released statements condemning the attempted military coup and expressed support for the government’s efforts to restore order.
  • A dozen soldiers were arrested following the attempted coup, reports said.
7 Dec 2025 - 14:30
 (14:30 GMT)
Explainer

A timeline of recent coups in Africa

Benin has joined a growing list of African countries where military officers have seized power since 2020. Here is a brief timeline:

  • Mali, August 2020 and May 2021: In 2020, Colonel Assimi Goita, the military leader, entered into a power-sharing deal with Bah Ndaw, a civilian president. Then in 2021, Goita overthrew Ndaw and installed himself as president.
  • Chad, April 2021: Following his father’s death in 2021, Mahamat Idriss Deby, an army general, quickly seized power.
  • Guinea, September 2021: After 11 years in office, Alpha Conde was removed by a group of soldiers led by Mamady Doumbouya.
  • Sudan, October 2021: The Sudanese military staged a coup in October 2021.
  • Burkina Faso, January and September 2022: First, Roch Kabore was ousted by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba. Then, in September, Captain Ibrahim Traore, the head of an artillery unit of the Burkina Faso army, ousted Damiba.
  • Niger, July 2023: General Abdourahamane Tchiani ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
  • Gabon, August 2023: Shortly after President Ali Bongo was declared the winner of an election in 2023, a group of soldiers appeared on television saying they were seizing power.
  • Madagascar, October 2025: After young people in Madagascar took to the streets to demand the resignation of former President Andry Rajoelina, there was a military takeover.
  • Guinea-Bissau, November 2025: Soldiers followed up a disputed presidential election by seizing power.
7 Dec 2025 - 14:15
 (14:15 GMT)
Analysis

The president is likely ‘under high-level security protection’

We have some more feedback from Oluwole Ojewale, the analyst at the Institute of Security Studies.

He said that through back-channel communications received via the African Union (AU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), “we can reasonably conclude that the president is in good spirits now and is probably under some high-level security protection right now”.

Ojewale added: “Since the cloud is still foggy, it’s too early for the president to step out”.

He also underscored that an attempt to stage a coup in Benin is going to be an “uphill task” because Nigeria, its larger neighbour and Africa’s largest economy, will not want to be encircled by “hostile” governments and military administrations.

7 Dec 2025 - 14:05
 (14:05 GMT)

The coup has morphed into an ‘information war’

The prevailing news is that the coup attempt has failed, and that it has now morphed into information warfare, Oluwole Ojewale, a Dakar-based analyst at the West Africa office of the Institute of Security Studies, has told Al Jazeera.

“It’s about who can actually control what people get to listen to now, that is the reason why we’ve been bombarded with a lot of reports … but I think for the next few hours, we will be seeing serious contestation within the media waves in terms of who gains the upper hand,” he said.

He said the political context is one in which the opposition sees the ruling party tightening its grip on power and, with no viable path through the ballot box, may look to military allies to seize power by force.

In recent months, the incumbent president has intensified pressure on opponents – jailing some and shrinking the space for free political expression, Ojewale said.

That creates conditions in which military figures, like the lieutenant colonel (Pascal Tigri), now drawn into this, can act as placeholders for broader interests seeking to capture the state, he added.

7 Dec 2025 - 13:45
 (13:45 GMT)
Developing

Benin arrests a dozen soldiers over coup attempt: Report

AFP is quoting military and security sources as saying that about a dozen soldiers have been arrested following the attempted coup this morning.

One source told the news agency that 13 arrests had been made, with another saying that all the detainees were soldiers in active service except one who was ex-military.

7 Dec 2025 - 13:34
 (13:34 GMT)

WATCH: Benin’s government says coup attempt foiled

Watch our video report below:

7 Dec 2025 - 13:15
 (13:15 GMT)

Interior minister’s statement in full

As we’ve reported, Benin’s Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said in a video shared online that the country’s armed forces had foiled the coup bid.

Here’s what he said in full:

“People of Benin, dear compatriots,

“In the early morning of Sunday, December 7, 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilising the state and its institutions.

“Faced with this situation, the Beninese armed forces and their hierarchy, faithful to their oath, remained committed to the republic.

“Their response allowed them to maintain control of the situation and thwart the attempt.

“Therefore, the government urges the population to go about their business as usual.”

7 Dec 2025 - 13:00
 (13:00 GMT)

Fast Facts: Benin

  • Benin is located in West Africa, extending north from the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the Niger River.
  • It is bordered to the northwest by Burkina Faso, to the east by Nigeria, and to the west by Togo.
  • Its population is about 14 million.
  • Benin’s capital city is Porto-Novo, but Cotonou is the largest city and de facto administrative and economic capital.
  • Between the late 1800s and 1960, Benin was a French colony.
  • The official language of Benin is French; however, different ethnic groups have their own languages, including Fon, Gen, Bariba, Yoruba, and Dendi.
  • Almost half of the total population is Christian, while about one-quarter is Muslim, and roughly a quarter adheres to traditional beliefs, including Vodun.
Benin’s population is about 14 million [File: Sunday Alamba/AP Photo]
7 Dec 2025 - 12:45
 (12:45 GMT)

How did embassies react?

Here’s how some foreign diplomatic missions in Benin responded to the news earlier today:

  • The US Embassy said in a statement that it was monitoring “reports of gunfire in the city of Cotonou” and “unconfirmed reports” of a military coup.
  • It urged people to avoid Cotonou and areas near the presidential compound, monitor local media, and steer clear of crowds and demonstrations.
  • Russia’s Embassy recommended its citizens in the country to “remain at home and observe basic precautions” until the situation in Cotonou becomes clearer.
  • The French Embassy said gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo, near the presidential residence.
  • It urged French citizens to remain at home until further notice as a security measure, “while the situation is fully clarified”.
7 Dec 2025 - 12:30
 (12:30 GMT)

What has been happening in Benin recently?

The coup attempt has come as Benin is preparing for a presidential election in April that would mark the end of the tenure of Talon, who has been in power since 2016.

Last month, Benin adopted a new constitution that extended the presidential mandate from five to seven years, in what critics said was a power grab by the ruling coalition, which nominated Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni to be its candidate.

The opposition Democrats party, founded by Talon’s predecessor, Thomas Boni Yayi, saw its proposed candidate rejected because of what a court ruled was insufficient backing from lawmakers.

Talon has been credited with reviving economic growth, but the country has also seen an increasing number of attacks by fighters that have wreaked havoc in Mali and Burkina Faso.

In April, Benin’s government said 54 soldiers were killed in an attack in the north by an affiliate of al-Qaeda.

7 Dec 2025 - 12:15
 (12:15 GMT)
Houthi

African Union ‘unequivocally condemns’ coup attempt

We have more international reaction to the events in Benin – this time, from the African Union (AU).

A statement said AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf “strongly and unequivocally condemns the military coup attempt” in Benin, stressing that any form of military interference in political processes is “a grave violation of the fundamental principles and values” of the AU.

The statement also reaffirmed the bloc’s support for Talon, the legitimate authorities of Benin and its people.

“The African Union stands ready, in coordination with regional and international partners, to accompany the Government and People of Benin toward the full restoration of constitutional normalcy and the strengthening of democratic institutions.”

7 Dec 2025 - 12:00
 (12:00 GMT)
Houthi

ECOWAS strongly condemns attempted coup

We have some reaction from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

In a statement, the bloc said it strongly condemned the attempted military coup in Benin and would support efforts by the government to restore order.

 

7 Dec 2025 - 11:45
 (11:45 GMT)

Whereabouts of Talon still unknown

Here is a quick reminder that we have still not heard from President Patrice Talon and have not been notified of his whereabouts.

All that we know is that after the takeover attempt, the president’s office stated that Talon is “safe”, according to the AFP news agency.

Benin’s ؛resident Patrice Talon in Cotonou [File: AFP]
7 Dec 2025 - 11:30
 (11:30 GMT)

Two Talon associates in January were sentenced to 20 years in prison for plotting a coup

The events today come nearly a year after two associates of Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison following their arrest in 2024 on suspicion of plotting a coup.

Olivier Boko, a businessman and longtime friend of the president, and Oswald Homeky, a former sports minister, were found guilty of “conspiracy against state security” and “corruption of a public official” by the court for financial crimes and terrorism in Cotonou.

The men were convicted in January following their arrest in September 2024, after being accused of bribing the commander in charge of the president’s security to carry out a coup.

Homeky was caught while allegedly handing over six bags of money to the head of the presidential guard, according to Elonm Mario Metonou, the special prosecutor at Benin’s court for financial crimes and terrorism.

Boko, often seen as Talon’s “right-hand man”, was accused of being the mastermind behind the coup attempt and was arrested separately. Several politicians, including Homeky, had expressed support for Boko’s potential run in next year’s presidential election.

President Patrice Talon has been in power since 2016 [File: Rafaela Araujo/AFP]
7 Dec 2025 - 11:22
 (11:22 GMT)
Developing

More from Benin’s interior minister

We have more information about the statement by Benin’s interior minister announcing that the army had foiled an attempted coup.

“A small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilising the country and its institutions,” said Alassane Seidou.

“Faced with this situation, the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership maintained control of the situation and foiled the attempt,” he added.

7 Dec 2025 - 11:09
 (11:09 GMT)
Houthi

Benin’s interior minister says coup attempt thwarted

Alassane Seidou has said in a statement that Benin’s armed forces have thwarted an attempted coup.

7 Dec 2025 - 11:06
 (11:06 GMT)

Benin a key maritime hub

By Ahmed Idris

Usually, when a military officer appears on television to announce a coup, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are the coup leader or will be made president at the end of the day.

We’ve seen that happen in Niger and in countries like Mali and Burkina Faso.

It’s important to note that Benin is a very important maritime hub.

Despite Nigeria having several ports, Benin continues to play a critical role in delivering goods and services by sea to Nigeria and many other West African countries.

7 Dec 2025 - 11:00
 (11:00 GMT)

Photos: Benin’s Cotonou this morning

Motorists in Cotonou after rumours of a possible coup [AFP]
[AFP]
[AFP]

7 Dec 2025 - 10:45
 (10:45 GMT)

Situation remains unclear

Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, who has reported extensively across West Africa, says the situation remains confusing due to the contradictory information.

“The government says it has successfully repelled an attack on the presidential palace, despite soldiers on national television announcing measures closing the land, sea, and air borders of Benin,” he said.

“But a coup attempt has definitely taken place in Benin,” Idris added.

“West Africa is gradually regaining its notoriety for coup plots and military takeovers.”