ECOWAS Troops Deployed to Benin After Failed Military Coup
ECOWAS troops from four countries deployed to support Benin after rogue soldiers attempt to seize power
- ECOWAS troops deployed to support Benin after failed coup attempt.
- President Talon assures citizens that the situation is under control
- 14 suspects arrested; regional and international bodies condemn the mutiny
Following a failed coup attempt in Benin, ECOWAS has deployed standby troops from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone to support the government and the Benin Armed Forces in maintaining constitutional order and protecting the country’s territorial integrity.
President Patrice Talon addressed the nation on Sunday via state television, reassuring citizens that the situation was “completely under control” and urging them to continue their daily activities calmly. He warned that the rogue soldiers responsible for the attempt “will not go unpunished” and confirmed that public security would be maintained nationwide.
The Benin government reported that 14 people have been arrested in connection with the attempted takeover. Interior Minister Alassane Seidou described the incident as a small group of soldiers attempting to destabilize the state, which was quickly foiled by loyal forces.
Earlier in the day, members of a group calling itself the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR) appeared on state television, claiming to have removed Talon from office, dissolved national institutions, and appointed Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri as head of the committee. Their broadcast was cut off as the regular army regained control.
The French Embassy reported gunfire near Camp Guezo, close to the president’s residence in Cotonou, but government officials quickly confirmed that Talon was safe and that the coup plotters had limited control, primarily over the TV station. The city remained largely calm, with residents continuing their daily routines.
Both ECOWAS and the African Union condemned the attempted coup, calling it “unconstitutional” and urging the soldiers to return to their barracks.
Benin, a former French colony, has experienced multiple coups in the past but has been relatively stable in recent decades. President Talon, a 67-year-old former businessman known as the “cotton king of Cotonou,” has overseen significant economic growth during his ten-year tenure, which is set to conclude with elections in April 2026.
The attempted coup comes amid a regional wave of military unrest, including recent takeovers in Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea, as West African nations grapple with political instability and rising jihadist violence.
