Benin says it thwarted an attempted coup, after a group of military officers claimed they removed President Patrice Talon from power and dissolved the government just months before the West African nation is scheduled to hold elections.
Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said the situation was an attempt at destabilising the state and its institutions, and that armed forces have brought the situation “under control.” Earlier Sunday, soldiers calling themselves the Comité Militaire pour la Refondation said they took control in response to deteriorating security in the country’s north, economic mismanagement and “widespread abuses under Talon’s administration.”
Talon, who hasn’t appeared or commented on the coup attempt, is safe and the army is regaining control, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. If the attempt had succeeded, Benin would have been the ninth country in the region to undergo a coup since 2020.
A former businessman, Talon secured a second term in 2021 with 86% of the vote after the main opposition party leader and ex-President Thomas Boni Yayi was barred from running. He’s set to step down in 2026 and has chosen Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni — widely credited with guiding Benin’s strong economic performance — as his successor for the April elections.
One of Africa’s top cotton producers, Benin has sought to diversify an economy that grew 6.7% in 2024, up from 6.4% the previous year, according to World Bank data. That apparent economic progress has unfolded alongside the arrest of political opponents and a growing Islamist insurgency in the country’s north. It remains one of African’s poorest nations, with GDP per capita of about $1,500, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Benin has roughly $2.6 billion of eurobonds of various maturities outstanding, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Juntas have seized control in a belt of countries that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea since 2020, with Mali, Niger, Guinea and Burkina Faso also under military rule. The takeovers have been rooted in economic malaise and weak governance that have fed frustration among civilians and the spread of extremist violence.
Soldiers claiming to have taken control remained inside the TV station around 10 a.m. local time Sunday, holding staff hostage as the National Guard surrounded the building. All institutions and political party activities in Benin have been suspended, and borders are closed until further notice, the soldiers said, adding that the country’s international commitments and human rights will be respected.
Residents said they heard gunfire in the commercial capital, Cotonou, early Sunday, with police and military positioned at strategic intersections and around the port, adding to uncertainty over the situation. The French embassy said gunfire could be heard near the president’s residence around 8 a.m. on Sunday, according to a Facebook post.
