A failed coup attempt in the West African nation of Benin has left its apparent leader on the run and the fate of several hostages uncertain, a day after soldiers sought to overthrow the government.
The group, identifying themselves as the Committee for Refoundation, stormed the national television station early on Sunday morning. Led by Benin army officer Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, eight soldiers appeared in a broadcast announcing the removal of President Patrice Talon, the dissolution of the government, and the suspension of all state institutions.
However, by Sunday afternoon, the coup was thwarted by Benin’s military, supported by Nigerian air and ground forces, which launched a series of attacks against the fleeing mutineers. At least a dozen soldiers have since been arrested, while others remain at large, with Lt. Col. Tigri’s whereabouts currently unknown.
President Talon described the coup late on Sunday as a “senseless adventure,” assuring the public that the situation was under control. He vowed to punish the mutineers and ensure the safety of the hostages, believed to include senior military officers, though he did not disclose their identities, the number of casualties, or the total number of captives.
United Nations Secretary General AntĂłnio Guterres on Sunday condemned the attempted coup, saying it would “further threaten the stability of the region.”
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu praised Nigeria’s armed forces for standing “as a defender and protector of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin on the invitation of the government.”
The Economic Community of West African States, the organisation representing the regional bloc of nations, said Sunday it had deployed a standby force to Benin to help preserve democracy. The troops included personnel from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone. The size of the force remains unclear.
Calm returned Monday to Cotonou, Benin’s administrative centre, after sporadic gunshots were heard across the city throughout Sunday, but there a heavy presence of soldiers remained on the streets.
Despite a history of coups following its independence from France in 1960, the tiny country has enjoyed uninterrupted democratic rule in the past two decades.
The attempted coup is the latest in a spate of coups that have rocked West Africa since 2020. Soldiers seized power last month in Guinea-Bissau after disputed election results, following Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Guinea and Gabon among the countries that have experienced similar takeovers in the past five years.
Following its independence from France in 1960, the West African nation has witnessed multiple coups. Since 1991, the country has been politically stable following the two-decade rule of Marxist-Leninist Mathieu K�r�kou.
Talon has been in power since 2016 and is due to step down next April after a presidential election.
Talon’s party pick, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is the favourite to win the election. Opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo was rejected by the electoral commission on the grounds that he did not have sufficient sponsors.
In January, two associates of Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison for an alleged 2024 coup plot.
Last month, the country’s legislature extended the presidential term of office from five to seven years, keeping the term limit at two.
