Benin’s President Patrice Talon declared the country “completely under control” on Sunday after loyalist forces thwarted an attempted military coup supported by a small rebel faction.
A group of soldiers had earlier seized state television and announced Talon’s removal, triggering swift intervention by the Beninese army and allied Nigerian forces.
Beninese security sources said around a dozen soldiers were arrested, including key organisers of the coup attempt, as gunfire echoed across parts of Cotonou.
Talon urged citizens to resume normal life, praising troops who moved quickly to counter the uprising and protect national institutions.
Soldiers calling themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation claimed responsibility, naming lieutenant colonel Pascal Tigri as their leader and citing security failures in northern Benin.
A source close to the presidency dismissed the insurgents as “a small group who only control the television”, insisting the army was regaining command of the capital.
Benin’s interior minister said the armed forces had fully maintained authority, while Nigerian aircraft struck undisclosed targets to support ongoing countercoup operations.
ECOWAS announced that troops from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Sierra Leone were deploying to Benin to safeguard constitutional order.
Residents in Cotonou reported moments of fear as access to government buildings and several districts was blocked, though many continued daily routines despite the unrest.
Witnesses said the rebel soldiers appeared on television carrying assault rifles and justifying their actions by alleging corruption and neglect of frontline troops.
The African Union, France and the International Organisation of La Francophonie condemned the coup attempt, calling for respect for democratic norms.
Benin, long regarded as a stable democracy, has endured periodic coups since independence in 1960 and now faces renewed questions about political and security pressures.
Talon, a former businessman nicknamed the “cotton king”, is due to leave office in 2026 after a decade marked by economic growth and rising jihadist violence.
