West African troops were deployed to Benin on Sunday after what the country’s president described as an unsuccessful coup attempt. Soldiers from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Sierra Leone were sent as part of an Ecowas standby force to support the government and preserve constitutional order.
Benin’s president, Patrice Talon, said the situation was “totally under control” after security forces thwarted a mutiny by a group of soldiers who attacked state institutions and appeared on state television to announce the dissolution of the government. The group, calling itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, declared the removal of the president and appointed Lt Col Pascal Tigri as its leader.
Nigeria’s air force struck targets in Benin, with President Bola Tinubu ordering fighter jets to take over the airspace to dislodge the coup plotters from the national TV station and a military camp. The rapid mobilisation of loyalist forces allowed the government to regain control of the broadcaster, Talon said.
Benin’s interior minister, Alassane Seidou, confirmed that soldiers had launched a mutiny aimed at destabilising the state. A government spokesperson said 14 people had been arrested in connection with the attempt, but it remained unclear whether Tigri had been apprehended. Gunfire was heard in Cotonou, but the city remained relatively calm.
The attempted coup is the latest threat to democratic rule in West Africa, where militaries have recently seized power in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. It came as Benin prepares for a presidential election in April, marking the end of Talon’s tenure since 2016. The coup plotters cited the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin, where jihadist attacks have increased.
