BREAKING: Benin Presidency Thwarts Coup – President Talon Safe, Military Regains Control

The reported military coup in the Republic of Benin appears to be rapidly unraveling, according to an official statement from the Presidency.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

President Patrice Talon is confirmed safe, with the government asserting that the regular army is steadily regaining control of the situation.

Speaking to AFP on Sunday, the presidency downplayed the attempted takeover led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, who had declared himself head of the so-called “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR) on state television.

“This is a small group of people who only control the television,” the statement said, adding that the government remains firmly in charge.

“The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure,” it emphasized.

Earlier on Sunday morning, December 7, 2025, a group of soldiers had claimed to have seized control of the federal government, announcing the dissolution of the current administration in a national broadcast. The self-styled Military Committee for Refoundation stated that the president, all political officeholders, and state institutions had been removed from power.

President Talon, in office since 2016, had pledged to step down in April 2026 following the scheduled presidential election.

Notably, in September 2024, the commander of the Republican Guard and head of Talon’s security, Djimon Tevoedjre, was arrested after an earlier coup attempt.

With this latest development, the Benin Republic becomes the newest West African nation to experience a challenge to civilian rule by a military faction.