Military officers in Benin Republic have taken control of the federal government, declaring a complete takeover during a televised announcement early Sunday.
In a broadcast aired on the country’s state-owned television station, a group of soldiers identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation said the sitting president, along with all political officeholders, had been removed from power.
The officers also proclaimed the dissolution of all state institutions, signalling a full collapse of civilian authority.
President Patrice Talon, who has led Benin since 2016, had previously stated he would leave office in April 2026 after the next presidential election.
The coup comes a little over a year after Djimon Tevoedjre, commander of the Republican Guard and a key figure in Talon’s security architecture, was arrested following an earlier coup attempt in September 2024.
With this takeover, Benin Republic becomes the latest West African nation to fall under a military junta.
The region has experienced a wave of coups in recent years, including in:
Guinea-Bissau (2025)
Burkina Faso (2022)
Guinea (2021)
Mali (2020)
Niger (2023)
Just last month, Guinea-Bissau’s military seized power amid electoral disputes between President Umaro Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias, despite the lack of official results from the electoral commission.
The growing number of military interventions across West Africa continues to raise concerns about democratic backsliding and regional stability.
More details shortly.
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