A group of soldiers took over Benin’s state television on Sunday to declare that they had dismantled the country’s government in what appears to be an attempted coup in the West African nation.
During the broadcast, the troops announced that President Patrice Talon — who has led the country since 2016 — along with all state institutions, had been removed.
Identifying themselves as members of the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR), they said the group had convened and resolved that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic.”
At the time of the announcement, Talon’s location had not been disclosed.
The French Embassy later posted on X that gunshots were heard at Camp Guezo, a military installation close to the president’s official residence, urging French nationals in the country to stay indoors for their safety.
Shortly after the soldiers’ broadcast, the presidency told AFP that the president was unharmed and that loyal forces were restoring order. “This is a small group of people who only control the television,” the statement read. “The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure.”
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Talon was expected to leave office next April after completing a decade in power.
Benin’s situation adds to a growing list of military takeovers across Africa in recent years. Just last month, Guinea-Bissau’s armed forces staged a coup, placing General Horta Inta-A at the helm of a one-year transitional administration — the country’s ninth coup attempt since independence in 1974.
In 2023, Gabon’s Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose family had governed for nearly 56 years, was ousted by military leader Brice Oligui Nguema. That same year, Niger’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, was deposed and replaced by a junta led by Abdourahamane Tchiani.
Burkina Faso also witnessed significant upheaval in 2022, when President Paul-Henri Damiba was removed in the nation’s second coup that year, paving the way for Captain Ibrahim Traoré to take control. Meanwhile, Mali’s 2020 takeover was orchestrated by General Assimi Goita, who led soldiers in toppling the government.