Benin Military Coup Attempt (2025)

The Benin Military Coup Attempt (2025) is an incident recorded as a brief attempt to seize control of the government, announced on 7 December 2025 by a group of soldiers via Benin’s state television. According to statements from the government and the presidency, the coup attempt was largely brought under control within the same day.

Benin Armed Forces (AA)

Coup Announcement and Initial Developments

On the morning of 7 December 2025, a group of soldiers appeared on Benin’s state television and declared that they had taken control of the government. The military group identifying itself as the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR) announced:

• The government had been dissolved,
• President Patrice Talon and all state officials had been removed from office,
• The country’s borders had been closed,
• All political parties had been suspended.

The group also stated that Colonel Pascal Tigri had been appointed as the head of the new administration.

Armed Activity and Security Measures

During the announcement of the coup, gunfire was reported around the Camp Guezo military base in the capital city of Cotonou, located near the presidential residence. In response, the French Embassy in Benin urged its citizens to remain indoors for security reasons until a second advisory was issued.

Government and Presidency Statements

Following the coup attempt, the Benin government and the presidency stated that the incident had not resulted in a change of government nationwide. Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari indicated that the coup group had only briefly seized control of the state television station and that the broadcast signal had been interrupted for a few minutes.

The presidency statement affirmed that:

• Patrice Talon was safe,
• The vast majority of the armed forces remained loyal to the current government,
• Regular army units and national guard forces had regained control,
• Security had been restored across the country.

According to official statements, the coup attempt involved only a limited number of soldiers and was swiftly suppressed.