Benin’s real coup already happened under President Talon

Al JazeeraCenterEN 6 min read 100% complete by Tafi MhakaDecember 9, 2025 at 10:19 AM

AI Summary

long article 6 min

In December 2025, a failed coup attempt occurred in Benin, led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, who announced the removal of President Patrice Talon. The coup was quickly thwarted, and authorities arrested several plotters. While the event shocked the region, the article argues it exposed a deeper political crisis. According to the article, President Talon, elected in 2016, systematically dismantled Benin's democratic institutions through legal changes, judicial capture, and electoral rule manipulation, effectively undermining the country's democracy from within. The attempted coup highlighted the extent of this democratic erosion that had been ongoing since Talon took office. Prior to Talon's presidency, Benin was recognized for its peaceful transfers of power and multi-party system.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

African Union (AU) 50% Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) 50% Patrice Talon ×4100% Benin ×2100%

Keywords

benin 90% coup attempt 90% democracy 80% political crisis 70% patrice talon 70% democratic institutions 60% overthrow of democracy 50% political system 50% failed coup 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Benin

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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benin coup attempt democracy political crisis patrice talon democratic institutions overthrow of democracy political system failed coup

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