BREAKING: Soldiers Announce Overthrow of Government in Benin Republic

By Emmanuel Kwada 

Military officers in Benin Republic have seized control of the federal government in an apparent coup d’état, announcing the dissolution of all state institutions during a dramatic broadcast on the nation’s state television early Sunday morning.

A group of at least eight soldiers, some wearing helmets, appeared on Benin’s Office de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision du Bénin (ORTB) around dawn to declare the ouster of President Patrice Talon, who has led the West African nation since 2016.

Identifying themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR), the officers appointed Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri as the interim leader and proclaimed the suspension of the constitution, the closure of all air, land, and sea borders, and a ban on political party activities.

The broadcast followed reports of heavy gunfire near Camp Guézo, close to Talon’s official residence in Cotonou, and an alleged assault on his private home in the Le Guézo neighborhood of Porto-Novo.

The French Embassy in Benin confirmed hearing gunshots in the area and urged French nationals to stay indoors, while social media footage circulating online showed soldiers storming the state TV station.

In their televised address, the coup leaders cited “misrule” and the need to “restore order” as justifications for the takeover, vowing to address perceived democratic backsliding under Talon, including recent constitutional reforms that extended presidential terms from five to seven years and introduced a Senate—changes decried by critics as power grabs.

Talon, a former cotton magnate who won re-election in 2021 amid opposition boycotts, had pledged not to seek a third term ahead of April 2026 polls.

However, the Beninese government swiftly pushed back, insisting the situation remains under control. A spokesperson for Talon’s office told AFP that the president is “safe and secure,” describing the incident as the work of a “small group” that briefly hijacked the TV station, with loyal Republican Guard and army units already regaining full authority over key sites, including ORTB.

Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari echoed this to Reuters, stating that “a large part of the army and national guard” remains loyal to Talon and that forces are actively thwarting the plot.

Government communications chief Wilfried Houngbedji added to AP that “everything is fine,” though details on arrests or casualties were not immediately disclosed.

As of mid-morning, the national TV signal had been restored, and reports from Cotonou indicated calmer streets, with some eyewitnesses on X (formerly Twitter) describing the coup broadcast as a fleeting “20-minute hijack” before security forces intervened.