West African regional forces have been deployed to Benin following a dramatic but unsuccessful coup attempt by a group of soldiers on Sunday. The swift action by loyalist security forces thwarted the mutiny, which saw rebels briefly seize state television to announce the dissolution of the government.
Mutiny on State Television
In a brazen move echoing recent instability across the region, a faction of soldiers identifying as the Military Committee for Refoundation took control of Benin's state broadcaster. Appearing on air, they declared the removal of President Patrice Talon and the dissolution of all state institutions, appointing Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri as head of their military committee.
The country's Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, condemned the action, stating the soldiers had "launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilising the state and its institutions." The attempt marks a surprising development in Benin, a nation where the last successful coup occurred in 1972.
Regional Bloc Swiftly Intervenes
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) reacted decisively, ordering the immediate deployment of its standby force to support Benin's government. Troops from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone were mobilised to help preserve constitutional order in the country of approximately 14.5 million people.
In a significant escalation, the Nigerian air force conducted strikes on targets within Benin. A Nigerian presidential source confirmed the action to AFP, with Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame stating the operations were "in line with ECOWAS protocols and the ECOWAS standby force mandate." The specific nature of the targets remains unclear.
Government Retains Control and Makes Arrests
President Patrice Talon, 67, who is due to step down after elections in April, addressed the nation after loyalist forces regained control of the television station. He asserted the situation was "totally under control" and praised the rapid mobilisation that "allowed us to thwart these adventurers." Talon vowed that "this treachery will not go unpunished."
By Sunday afternoon, a government spokesperson, Wilfried Léandre Houngbedji, confirmed that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the plot, though no further details were provided.
The coup plotters had cited the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin, where jihadist spillover from conflicts in neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso has become a growing concern, as well as the "disregard and neglect of our fallen brothers-in-arms." While Talon is credited with economic revival, this security threat has posed a significant challenge to his administration.
This failed coup represents the latest threat to democratic governance in West Africa, a region that has witnessed successful military takeovers in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau in recent years.
