Authorities in Bénin declared on Sunday that they had successfully foiled an attempted coup aimed at overthrowing President Patrice Talon. President Talon reassured the nation that the situation was “totally under control,” prompting the West African bloc CEDEAO to pledge military support.

This alleged coup attempt unfolds mere months before President Talon is set to conclude his second and final term. Bénin, a small West African nation, has experienced robust economic growth but faces increasing jihadist violence in its northern regions. The broader West African area has been plagued by political instability since the start of the decade, witnessing coups in Mali, Burkina Faso (both bordering Bénin), Niger, Guinea, and most recently in Guinea-Bissau in late November.

On Sunday morning, following reports of gunfire near the presidential palace, military personnel appeared on national television to declare President Talon’s deposition. They cited various grievances, including the “deterioration of the security situation” and challenges to “fundamental freedoms.”

Just a few hours later, Bénin’s Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, also appeared on national television, confirming that the coup had been thwarted.

President Patrice Talon later corroborated this in a brief address to the nation on Sunday evening, affirming that the situation was “totally under control” and that “security and public order will be maintained across the national territory.”

“This treachery will not go unpunished,” he added, after commending the Republican Guard upon his arrival at the presidential palace.

France, the former colonial power, condemned the coup attempt on Sunday evening, advising its citizens “to exercise the utmost caution and, specifically, to remain indoors” due to “a still volatile context.”

After a day where most residents in Cotonou, the economic capital, carried on with their routines, the city emptied earlier than usual in the evening, as observed by a journalist from Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Several military checkpoints were established in the vicinity of the presidency and the adjacent military camp of Guézo.

“Tonight, we’ll try to get home earlier. We don’t know who is behind this coup attempt,” Michelle Eudoxie, a 50-year-old hairdresser, shared with AFP.

“This morning I started hearing the sounds of bullets. I left the neighborhood to go elsewhere because I was scared,” explained Nabil Sacca, a petrol vendor who was near the presidential palace earlier that day.

West African regional deployment

According to military sources speaking to AFP, approximately a dozen soldiers have been apprehended. Among those arrested are some of the perpetrators of the attempted putsch, a security source indicated, without specifying if the alleged leader of the mutineers, Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, was among them.

In the late afternoon, Nigerian air forces conducted strikes in Cotonou “in accordance with the protocols of the Economic Community of West African States (CEDEAO),” stated Nigerian Air Force spokesperson General Ehimen Ejodamen, without detailing the specific targets.

CEDEAO subsequently announced the “immediate deployment” of troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana to support Bénin’s “government and republican army” and to “preserve constitutional order.”

The CEDEAO Standby Force is mandated to ensure peace and stability in the region. For instance, it was deployed in Gambia in 2017 when the outgoing president, Yahya Jammeh, refused to relinquish power. However, it ultimately opted against intervening in 2023 following the coup in Niger.

The African Union (AU) “strongly and unequivocally” condemned this attempted coup.

Bénin’s political history has been marked by several coups or attempts, with the last one dating back to 1972.

“Today, it’s as if I’m reliving what our parents experienced back then,” recounted Remy Agblo, a merchant, “fortunately, it was thwarted.”

Patrice Talon, who has been in power since 2016, will complete his second term in 2026, the maximum allowed by the Constitution.

His designated successor, current Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is considered the overwhelming favorite for the April 2026 presidential election, with the main opposition party having been excluded from the race.

“There has been a palpable tension in the country for months due to the elections,” noted Anatole Zinsou, an IT specialist in Cotonou, who lamented the “exclusion” of certain political actors from the electoral processes.

While lauded for Bénin’s economic development, Patrice Talon is frequently accused by critics of steering the country towards authoritarianism, despite its past reputation for dynamic democracy.