Benin soldiers claim coup as govt insists President Talon remains safe

A group of soldiers in Benin Republic on Sunday announced that they had overthrown President Patrice Talon, but the presidency quickly countered the claim, insisting that the president was unharmed and that loyal forces were regaining control.

Appearing on state television, the soldiers—who referred to themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation—declared that they had met and resolved to remove Talon from office.

“Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic,” the group announced in a brief statement read on air.

Their declaration comes amid a spate of recent military takeovers across West and Central Africa, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, and Guinea-Bissau.

The French Embassy in Cotonou confirmed on X that gunfire had been heard around Camp Guezo, not far from the president’s official residence. The mission advised French nationals to stay indoors until the situation stabilised.

Despite the televised announcement, Talon’s office insisted the president was secure and still in charge.

“This is a small group of people who only control the television. The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure,” a senior official in Talon’s entourage told AFP.

Talon, 67, has governed Benin for nearly a decade and is expected to leave office in April 2026 at the end of his constitutionally allowed second term. His tenure has been marked by both economic growth and persistent criticism over alleged authoritarian rule.

With the main opposition party barred from the upcoming presidential race, the contest to succeed him is expected to be between the ruling party and a moderate opposition bloc.

Benin has a long and turbulent political history, with multiple coups and attempted coups before the return to democratic rule three decades ago.