Military personnel in Benin announced on Sunday that they had removed President Patrice Talon from power, though his team insisted he was safe and that the army was restoring order.
A group calling itself the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR) declared on state television that it had decided to oust Talon from office.
The announcement comes after recent coups in Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. Benin also borders Niger and Burkina Faso, two countries currently under military rule.
The French Embassy reported gunfire near Camp Guezo, close to the president’s residence in the economic capital, and advised its citizens to stay indoors.
However, Talon’s entourage said the president—who has led the country for a decade and is expected to leave office in April—was unharmed.
“This is a small group controlling only the TV station. The regular army is taking back control. The city and the country remain secure,” his office told AFP.
Benin has a history of coups and attempted coups. Talon, who took office in 2016, is due to complete his second and final constitutional term in 2026. The main opposition has been barred from contesting the succession, leaving the ruling party to face what is considered a “moderate” opposition.
Talon, a 67-year-old businessman known as the “cotton king” of Cotonou, has been credited with economic growth but often criticised for authoritarian tendencies.
