By Our Correspondent
An attempted coup in the Republic of Benin that began with soldiers taking over the state broadcaster and announcing the dissolution of government appeared effectively contained on Sunday after forces loyal to President Patrice Talon moved to retake key positions, officials and independent reports said.
Soldiers identified themselves on state television as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” and named Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri as their leader in a broadcast that declared the constitution suspended and national institutions dissolved. The signal was later cut and the government said the putschists controlled only the state TV signal before it was disabled.
Benin’s government, citing a statement from the foreign ministry, said most of the armed forces remained loyal to President Patrice Talon and that the situation was under control. Gunfire was reported in parts of Cotonou, the commercial capital, including near the presidential residence, but there was no immediate confirmation of Talon’s whereabouts in the hours after the initial broadcast. The French embassy advised residents to stay indoors as events unfolded.
A Lagosian correspondent’s reliable source in Cotonou contacted the newsroom and sent a short but reassuring message: “Don’t worry everything is fine. The putsch didn’t succeed.” We have published that contemporaneous message as an on-the-ground indicator that loyal units were mobilizing to restore order. (Source: The Lagosian)
Why this matters
The attempt — the first major publicised seizure of state media in Benin since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1991 — comes against a fraught regional backdrop of coups and coup attempts across West and Central Africa in recent years. It also punctuates a tense domestic moment for Benin: Talon’s administration has been widely credited with ambitious economic reforms and infrastructure projects that have transformed parts of the economy, even as critics decry political centralisation and recent constitutional changes that have stoked controversy.
Benin has also confronted earlier internal strife and alleged coup plots in recent years, including arrests of high-profile figures in 2024 accused of conspiring against the state — a reminder that the country’s stability has been repeatedly tested.
Government response and next steps
Authorities said they were investigating the origins and scale of the attempted takeover and that arrests were being made. International partners were monitoring the situation closely and advising citizens in Benin to exercise caution. Local reporting and international wire coverage indicated the attempted putsch did not spread beyond the areas initially targeted by the soldiers who interrupted the television broadcast.
The human and political aftermath
Beyond the immediate security response, the episode raises pressing questions about civil-military relations in a country that has been portrayed as a rare success story in the region’s recent economic revival. If the government’s claim that loyal forces quickly contained the threat is confirmed, the swift quelling of the action would be a relief — but it will also trigger calls for a transparent inquiry into how and why soldiers could seize the national broadcaster at all. Observers say Benin’s political elite and security services must explain lapses, hold perpetrators to account, and reassure the public and investors.
This is a developing story. The Lagosian will update readers as authorities in Cotonou and international agencies release more details.
BELOW, SPOKESMAN OF BENIN REPUBLIC MINISTRY OF SECURITY ANNOUNCING THE CRUSHING OF THE ATTEMPTED COUP OF THIS MORNING
