Politics Coup attempt in Benin - Minister: situation under control
There has apparently been an attempted coup in the West African country of Benin. Shots were fired near the presidential palace, according to a post from the French embassy in Cotonou on Platform X. A group of military officers occupied the national television station and declared the dismissal of President Patrice Talon on the air. The country's borders had been closed and Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri had been appointed President of a "Military Reconstruction Committee".
07.12.2025, 16:24
SDA
Benin's Interior Minister Alassane Seydou announced shortly afterwards that the situation was back under control. "In view of the situation, Benin's armed forces and their leadership remained true to their oath to the Republic. Their intervention enabled them to maintain control of the situation and thwart the coup attempt."
According to this, the attempted coup was only a small group of mutinous soldiers, as Seydou says in a video that is said to have been recorded on the state television station. However, unlike in the coup plotters' video, the minister's statement did not show the channel's logo. The statements by both sides could not be verified at first.
Both the US embassy and the French embassy called on their compatriots to stay in their homes as a precaution.
The West African community of states Ecowas condemned the events, which it described as an attempted military takeover. It promised to support the government in Cotonou with everything necessary to protect the constitution and the territorial integrity of the country. This could also include the deployment of a regional stabilization force, according to a statement from Ecowas.
