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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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Soldiers in the West African country of Benin said on state television they had ousted the nation's president and taken power in an apparent coup on Sunday.
Lieutenant Colonel Tigri Pascal was named by the group, which calls itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, as transitional leader, according to reports.
Government officials played down the apparent military takeover and said the coup had been stopped. President Patrice Talon was expected to step down in 2026.
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Why It Matters
Several of Benin's neighboring countries have been rocked by military coups in recent years, including Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. The nations stretching from West Africa across to the east of the continent have become known as the "coup belt," seeing a run of successful military takeovers since 2020.
Military officers said in late November the armed forces had seized power in the West African country of Guinea-Bissau, marking the ninth coup attempt in the nation since its independence from Portugal in the mid-1970s.
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What To Know
The soldiers said the country's constitution had been suspended and its borders shuttered. Benin's airspace has been closed, the military said, according to the BBC.
France's Embassy in Benin said gunfire had been reported close to Talon's official residence in the major city of Cotonou. The embassy urged its citizens to stay at home until further notice.
The U.S. Embassy in Cotonou separately said it was monitoring reports of gunfire and "unconfirmed reports of a coup." It warned members of the public to avoid the city and the area around the presidential compound, as well as crowds and demonstrations.
Benin's Foreign Minister, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, told the Reuters news agency a "large part of the army is still loyalist" and were reestablishing control from a limited number of soldiers at the national TV station.
An unnamed source told AFP a "small group of people" controlled the TV broadcast and the country was "completely secure." Benin's Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said the coup was thwarted.
Talon's current whereabouts is unknown, but a statement attributed to his office said the country's leader was safe.
The president—a businessman who has the nickname, the "king of cotton"—is due to step down at the end of his second term in office and elections are scheduled for April next year.
What People Are Saying
"It's just a matter of time before everything returns to normal. The cleanup is progressing well," an anonymous source in Benin's military reportedly told the AFP news agency.
Update 12/7/2025 7 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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