Reports from Beninese media indicate that a coup d’état has been unfolding in Cotonou since dawn on Sunday, December 7, 2025.
According to media outlet TchadOne, President Patrice Talon’s residence in the Le Guézo neighbourhood was attacked by a group of military personnel led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri.
Later in the morning, Lieutenant Colonel Tigri appeared on national television, which is reported to be under military control, declaring himself “chairman of the military re-establishment committee.”
The situation in the capital remains extremely volatile, with reports of troop movements at several strategic locations across Cotonou.
TchadOne promised to provide minute-by-minute updates as events continue to unfold.
No official statement has yet been released by President Talon or his government regarding the attacks.
Meanwhile, Benin’s Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, announced that the country’s armed forces have successfully thwarted an attempted coup.
The statement followed reports that soldiers briefly appeared on state television, declaring the removal of President Patrice Talon, closing the nation’s borders, and suspending political parties, according to AlJazeera.
The presidency of Benin has also confirmed that President Talon is safe and that the army is gradually regaining control following an attempted coup.
The announcement came after a group of military officers appeared on Benin national television on Sunday morning, claiming to have removed the president and dissolved all state institutions.
The officers, identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation, were reportedly led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri.
According to reports from Beninese media outlet TchadOne, the group attacked President Talon’s residence in the Le Guézo neighborhood and took control of the national television station, where Tigri declared himself “chairman of the military re-establishment committee.”
However, the president’s office, as reported by AFP, stated that President Talon remains unharmed and that loyalist forces are working to restore order across the capital.
“This is a small group of people who only control the television,” AFP quoted the presidency as saying.
“The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure.”
Earlier on Sunday, Lieutenant Tigri spoke to the National Television to announce the military coup.
West Africa has been gripped by a troubling wave of coups in recent years, underscoring the fragility of democratic institutions across the region.
The latest incident comes nearly a year after two of Talon’s associates were sentenced to 20 years in prison for plotting a coup.
In January 2025, Olivier Boko, a businessman and long-time friend of the president, and Oswald Homeky, a former sports minister, were convicted in Cotonou for “conspiracy against state security” and “corruption of a public official” related to financial crimes and terrorism.
The two men were arrested in September 2024 after allegedly attempting to bribe the commander responsible for the president’s security to orchestrate a coup.
Homeky was reportedly caught handing over six bags of money to the head of the presidential guard, according to Elonm Mario Metonou, special prosecutor at Benin’s court for financial crimes and terrorism.
Boko, often described as Talon’s “right-hand man,” was accused of masterminding the plot and was arrested separately. Several politicians, including Homeky, had previously expressed support for Boko’s potential candidacy in next year’s presidential election.
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