A coup attempt in Benin was successfully thwarted today, the government announced. According to Alassane Seidou, the country’s interior minister, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny in the early hours of Sunday, December 7, 2025, aiming to destabilise the state and dismantle national institutions.
The break-away soldiers — calling themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation and led by Pascal Tigri — briefly seized the state television station and declared on air that the government had been dissolved and a takeover succeeded.
However, loyalist forces of the Beninese Armed Forces swiftly regained control, restoring order and ensuring the coup failed. The presidency said that although the mutineers managed to control only the television station, the army was reasserting authority across the country.
Authorities reported that the head of state, Patrice Talon — whose residence had reportedly come under fire during the unrest — remains safe, and urged citizens to continue with normal activities.
The attempted coup comes at a sensitive time for Benin. The country is in the final months of Talon’s second and constitutionally final presidential term, with a planned election in April 2026. Critics have warned that recent constitutional changes and political moves suggested a possible power grab.
