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By Nils Adler

Published On 7 Dec 20257 Dec 2025

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• Benin’s Interior Minister Alassane Seidou says the country’s armed forces have thwarted an attempted coup.

• His statement came after soldiers appeared on state television and announced the removal of President Patrice Talon, the closure of borders and suspension of political parties.

• Government officials, however, later said the army was regaining control and the situation was under control

• Talon first took office in 2016 and was re-elected in 2021.

• The 67-year-old is due to step down at the end of his second term next year, the maximum allowed by the constitution.

4m ago

 (11:30 GMT)

The events today come nearly a year after two associates of Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison following their arrest in 2024 on suspicion of plotting a coup.

Olivier Boko, a businessman and longtime friend of the president, and Oswald Homeky, a former sports minister, were found guilty of “conspiracy against state security” and “corruption of a public official” by the court for financial crimes and terrorism in Cotonou.

The men were convicted in January following their arrest in September 2024, after being accused of bribing the commander in charge of the president’s security to carry out a coup.

Homeky was caught while allegedly handing over six bags of money to the head of the presidential guard, according to Elonm Mario Metonou, the special prosecutor at Benin’s court for financial crimes and terrorism.

Boko, often seen as Talon’s “right-hand man”, was accused of being the mastermind behind the coup attempt and was arrested separately. Several politicians, including Homeky, had expressed support for Boko’s potential run in next year’s presidential election.

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11m ago

 (11:22 GMT)

We have more information about the statement by Benin’s interior minister announcing that the army had foiled an attempted coup.

“A small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilising the country and its institutions,” said Alassane Seidou.

“Faced with this situation, the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership maintained control of the situation and foiled the attempt,” he added.

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24m ago

 (11:09 GMT)

Alassane Seidou has said in a statement that Benin’s armed forces have thwarted an attempted coup.

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27m ago

 (11:06 GMT)

By Ahmed Idris

Usually, when a military officer appears on television to announce a coup, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are the coup leader or will be made president at the end of the day.

We’ve seen that happen in Niger and in countries like Mali and Burkina Faso.

It’s important to note that Benin is a very important maritime hub.

Despite Nigeria having several ports, Benin continues to play a critical role in delivering goods and services by sea to Nigeria and many other West African countries.