Tension In Benin Republic Over Coup
OpenLife Nigeria reports that there is tension in Benin Republic at the moment.
Insiders say coup cannot be ruled out and the whereabouts of the President of the country, Patrice Guillaume Athanase Talon, unknown.
The situation in the capital remains extremely volatile, with reports of troop movements at several strategic locations across Cotonou.
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.
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Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, formerly known as the Kingdom of Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. Benin is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east.
The majority of its population lives on the southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Porto-Novo, and the seat of government is in Cotonou, the most populous city and economic capital.
Benin covers an area of 112,622 km2 (43,484 sq mi), and its population in 2021 was estimated to be approximately 13 million.
It is a tropical country with an economy heavily dependent on agriculture and the exports of palm oil and cotton.
Overtime, West Africa has been gripped by a troubling wave of coups in recent years, underscoring the fragility of democratic institutions across the region.
Guinea-Bissau became the latest flashpoint in November 2025, when army generals seized power on the eve of a presidential election. Heavy gunfire erupted near the presidential palace in Bissau, and President Umaro Sissoco Embaló was detained.
The military suspended the electoral process, citing threats to national stability, and installed General Horta Inta-A as head of a one-year transitional government.
The move deepened Guinea-Bissau’s long history of political instability, drawing condemnation from ECOWAS and prompting Nigeria to grant asylum to opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa amid fears for his safety.
Mali’s political crisis has simmered since its 2020 and 2021 coups, which brought Colonel Assimi Goïta to power. In August 2025, the junta announced it had thwarted another coup attempt, arresting two generals and a French national accused of plotting to destabilize the transitional government.
The arrests came against a backdrop of growing frustration: political parties remain banned, elections have been indefinitely postponed, and the junta has tightened its grip on power.
Mali’s instability has been compounded by jihadist violence and strained relations with Western partners, fueling fears of further unrest.
Burkina Faso, under Captain Ibrahim Traoré since the 2022 coup, also faced a foiled coup attempt in April 2025.
Authorities disclosed that senior officers had conspired with terrorist groups to topple the junta, prompting lockdowns of military barracks and heightened security in Ouagadougou.
The government rallied public support against alleged Western interference, but internal divisions within the military and worsening jihadist attacks have kept the country on edge.
The junta has postponed elections and introduced sweeping reforms, including a controversial plan to restore the death penalty for treason and terrorism, signaling its determination to consolidate control.
Niger Republic’s coup in July 2023 marked another turning point.
President Mohamed Bazoum, elected in the country’s first peaceful democratic transfer of power, was detained by his own presidential guard. General Abdourahamane Tchiani, head of the guard, declared himself leader with backing from the armed forces.
The junta justified its takeover as necessary to address economic hardship and security threats, but two years on, Niger remains under military rule, with ECOWAS sanctions and strained ties with Western allies shaping its trajectory.
Popular demonstrations in Niamey have reflected both support for the junta and resentment toward foreign influence.
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