NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 7 – Soldiers in Benin announced on national television on Sunday that they have seized power and ousted President Patrice Talon.
According to the BBC, the military declared the suspension of the constitution and the closure of all land borders and the country’s airspace. Lieutenant-Colonel Tigri Pascal was named head of a military transition council.
In their televised address, the soldiers cited dissatisfaction with President Talon’s governance as justification for the takeover.
Gunfire was reported near the presidential residence, according to the French Embassy in Benin, which urged French citizens to remain indoors.
The US Embassy in Cotonou also issued a security alert, advising citizens to avoid the area around the presidential compound, stay away from crowds and demonstrations, monitor local media, maintain a low profile, and inform friends and family of their safety.
“The US Embassy in Cotonou is monitoring reports of gunfire in Cotonou, as well as unconfirmed reports of a coup by members of the military,” the Embassy said.
President Talon, 67, was scheduled to leave office next year after completing his second term, with elections planned for April. Talon, who first took office in 2016, had pledged not to seek a third term and had already named a successor.
‘Ceremonial coups’
The apparent coup comes just over a week after the overthrow of Umaro Sissoco Embaló in neighboring Guinea-Bissau.
West Africa has experienced a wave of coups in recent years — including in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger — heightening concerns about regional stability.
On November 29, Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan questioned whether Embaló’s removal in Guinea-Bissau was a genuine coup.
Embaló was ousted a day before authorities were due to release election results.
The military suspended the electoral process and blocked the results, claiming it had foiled a plot to destabilize the country.
After his release, Embaló arrived in Senegal on a chartered military flight.
Both Sonko and Jonathan — who led election observation missions — described the incident as a “ceremonial coup” or “sham,” noting that Embaló himself announced his removal.
