- Benin Presidency says coup attempt collapsed as army restores control.
- Soldiers earlier announced government dissolution on state television.
- Talon confirmed safe while loyal troops secure key locations.
The reported coup attempt in the Republic of Benin has weakened significantly as the Presidency announced that President Patrice Talon is safe and security forces are restoring order.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the government confirmed that loyal troops have begun retaking key locations after soldiers earlier claimed to dissolve state institutions.
An official statement given to AFP on Sunday dismissed the action led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, who appeared on state television identifying himself as head of the Military Committee for Refoundation. According to the Presidency, the incident involved only a limited faction.
“This is a small group of people who only control the television,” the Presidency said.
The statement added that the administration remains fully in charge of national affairs.
“The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure.”
The announcement came hours after a group of soldiers declared on air that they had taken power and removed all elected officials.
The group described itself as the Military Committee for Refoundation and claimed to have dissolved the existing government.
President Talon, who has been in power since 2016, had earlier confirmed he would leave office in April 2026 after the next presidential election.
Previous unrest in the country included the arrest of Djimon Tevoedjre, the commander of the republican guard, over an earlier attempted coup in September 2024.
The latest events place Benin among West African states experiencing military uprisings in recent years, although authorities insist that control has now been restored.
