Benin - December 2025

On 7 December, Beninese authorities thwarted an attempted coup after soldiers attacked the residences of President Patrice Talon and senior military officials in Cotonou and appeared on state television claiming to have removed him from power. The mutineers cited insecurity in the north and the exclusion of opposition candidates ahead of elections due in January and April. Loyalist forces, backed by Nigerian air support and French intelligence assistance, regained control the same day, and Talon announced that the coup had failed. Authorities reported the arrest of at least 14 alleged plotters, while the suspected leader, Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, remained at large. In the days that followed, the government detained several opposition figures over alleged links to the plot, raising concerns that the failed putsch could be used to justify a broader crackdown in an already restrictive pre-election environment.

Sources: Executive Office of the President – Benin, Jeune Afrique, International Crisis Group, Africa Confidential, BBC, Reuters