Benin troops claim coup attempt on air

Soldiers appeared on Benin’s state television saying they had seized power and were suspending the constitution, accusing President Patrice Talon’s government of failing to address worsening security threats in the country’s north.

The announcement marks an unprecedented challenge to Talon’s rule and comes as West Africa continues to grapple with repeated military takeovers in recent years.

A spokesman, identifying himself as part of a newly formed “Military Committee for Refoundation,” read a statement saying the army had taken responsibility for what he called “multiple failures” of the government.

In the televised address, the soldier said the November 2025 constitution was suspended, all institutions dissolved and political party activity halted. He added that Benin’s borders were closed until further notice and that the army would exercise all powers of the state.

But Benin President Patrice Talon said that the government and armed forces had thwarted a coup attempt by a group of soldiers in the West African nation, vowing to punish those who carried it out.

Talon's announcement after gunfire first rang out in several neighborhoods of Cotonou, the biggest city, and soldiers went on state television to claim they had removed Talon from power.

The rapid mobilization of forces loyal to the government "allowed us to thwart these adventurers," Talon said in his remarks aired on state television. "This treachery will not go unpunished."

The attempted coup was the latest threat to democratic rule in the region, where militaries have in recent years seized power in Benin's neighbors Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as in Mali, Guinea and, only last month, Guinea-Bissau.

But it was a surprising development in Benin, where the last successful coup took place more than half a century ago, in 1972.

A government spokesperson, Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji, earlier said that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the coup attempt as of Sunday afternoon, without providing details.

The coup attempt came as Benin was preparing for a presidential election in April that would mark the end of the tenure of incumbent Talon, in power since 2016.

In their televised statement, the coup plotters mentioned the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin "coupled with the disregard and neglect of our fallen brothers-in-arms."

Talon has been credited with reviving the economy, but the country has also seen an increase in attacks by jihadist militants that have wreaked havoc in Mali and Burkina Faso.