Benin Thwarts Military Coup Attempt in Twin Capital Assault

Benin has successfully foiled a bold military uprising that erupted in its twin capitals, Cotonou and Porto-Novo, early on December 7, 2025, preventing a full-scale seizure of power.

Local reports and global news outlets describe how a faction of disgruntled officers launched a coordinated assault on President Patrice Talon’s private residence in the upscale Le Guézo neighborhood, followed by a swift takeover of the state broadcaster’s headquarters. The attackers, styling themselves as the “Military Committee for National Restoration” under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, seized airwaves to declare Talon’s ouster, the immediate dissolution of the cabinet, and the abolition of all governmental bodies.

In a dramatic on-air address via the Société de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision du Bénin (SRTB), the insurgents proclaimed the constitution suspended, all political parties outlawed, and national borders sealed shut amid vows to “restore order” to the West African nation.

Yet Beninese officials swiftly rebutted the plotters’ claims, insisting the president remained secure and that forces loyal to the government had quashed the insurrection. “This was nothing more than a failed coup d’état—the crisis is fully contained,” affirmed Foreign Minister Olushegun Adoaji Bakari. “Our armed forces and gendarmerie have reasserted dominance across key sites.”