Soldiers claim coup in Benin, as presidency assures army regaining control

President Talon’s office states that he is safe and that large part of army ‘is still loyalist’.Published On 7 Dec 2025Benin’s government says loyalist soldiers and national guards have regained control after a group of soldiers announced on state television that they had seized power in an apparent coup attempt in the West African nation.Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari said on Sunday that the coup plotters had taken control of state TV only and that the signal had been cut for several minutes.“There is an attempt, but the situation is under control. Now it’s a small group of military. A large part of the army is still loyalist, and we are taking over the situation,” Bakari told the Reuters news agency.A group of at least eight soldiers led by Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri had appeared on screen to claim the overthrow of President Patrice Talon, who has been in power since 2016, as well as all state institutions. They also claimed that the country’s borders had been closed and that all political parties had been suspended.The troops referred to themselves as part of the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR).“The army solemnly commits to give the Beninese people the hope of a truly new era, where fraternity, justice and work prevail,” said a statement read by one of the soldiers.Following the takeover attempt, the president’s office stated that Talon is safe and that the army was gradually regaining control, according to the AFP news agency.“This is a small group of people who only control the television,” the presidency told AFP.“The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure,” it said.