Benin coup foiled; leader on the run after casualties on both sides

The short-lived coup in Benin left “casualties on both sides” among government forces and mutinous soldiers, authorities said on Monday (December 8), as security forces intensified their search for the coup leader, who remains on the run.

The military takeover attempting to overthrow President Patrice Talon, which lasted a few hours before authorities announced it had been foiled, was the latest in a series of recent coups across Africa — most following a similar pattern of disputed elections, constitutional upheaval, security crises and youth discontent.

Coup leader on the run

In a statement detailing Sunday's events, Government Secretary Edouard Ouin-Ouro said the mutinous soldiers attacked forces loyal to Talon around 5 am before being “overwhelmed by the fierce resistance of the loyal soldiers.”

Also Read: What nation wants to know as govt, Opposition debate electoral reforms

Authorities said that although a few people involved in the coup got arrested, its apparent leader remained on the run and was being hunted. Two senior military officers held hostage by those attempting the coup were also released, officials said. Authorities did not specify the number of casualties.

An ongoing investigation into the coup would “identify all the perpetrators and their sponsors whoever they may be” and would assess the damage in the aftermath, Ouin-Ouro said in the statement issued after a high-level cabinet meeting chaired by the Benin leader.

How coup unfolded?

A group of soldiers calling themselves the Committee for Refoundation stormed the national television station on Sunday (December 7) morning to announce the coup. Led by Lt Col Pascal Tigri, eight soldiers appeared in a broadcast announcing the removal of Talon, the dissolution of the government and the suspension of state institutions.

Also Read: Trump raises concern over Netflix-Warner deal; says he’d like to play a role in decision

It is to be noted that Tigri was a member of Talon's protection detail as an artillery officer who commanded a National Guard battalion between 2023 and 2025.

Involvement of Nigeria

By Sunday afternoon, the coup was foiled by Benin's military, supported by Nigerian air and ground forces, which launched attacks against fleeing coup participants.

The government confirmed the involvement of Nigerian and Ivorian troops in helping to thwart the coup, saying the Nigerian military had "(used) its military aircraft, which immobilized some of the armoured vehicles".

Also Read: 'Know Your Rights': Mamdani urges New Yorkers to push back against ICE raids

A Nigerian government spokesperson said in a statement that Talon had requested Nigeria's help. It was not clear how many personnel or how much equipment had been deployed.

Calm on Monday returned to Cotonou, Benin's administrative centre, with soldiers on the streets.

'Senseless adventure'

Talon described the coup as a “senseless adventure,” and said the situation was under control. He vowed to punish mutineers and ensure the safety of hostages, including some believed to be senior military officers. He didn't disclose their identities, and it was not clear how many were held.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced that it had deployed a standby force to Benin to help preserve democracy on Sunday. The troops included personnel from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone. However, the size of the force was unclear.

Also Read: Telangana man 'abducted' by rebels in Mali; family seeks govt help

Nigeria and the ECOWAS regional bloc hadn't intervened in a member state since 2017, when it sent troops to Gambia to force then President Yahya Jammeh to vacate power following his election loss.

The bloc, led by Nigeria, tried to intervene in Niger after the country's 2023 coup. At that time, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu led the bloc. His threat to intervene if the junta didn't restore the ousted democratic government resulted in a standoff between the bloc and three junta-led countries, and they later left the bloc.

Rampant coups in West Africa

Analysts say Nigeria has a strategic interest in defending its borders — which is shares with Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon — especially now, while it experiences a severe security crisis.

“The coup in Benin is one too many. Nigeria cannot afford to be encircled by hostile governments,” Oluwole Ojewale, a senior security researcher at Dakar-based Institute for Security Studies, told The Associated Press.

As West Africa battles a surge in coups, analysts say ECOWAS lacks consistency in its response. In Gabon and Guinea-Bissau, the bloc was less assertive, and it has watched some other leaders stay in office via constitutional changes.

Also Read: 'Putin–Modi summit won't go down well with Trump and US'

“You can make the argument that Tinubu needed to show some strength in preserving democracy, but this now speaks to ECOWAS' double standard," said Cheta Nwanze, a partner at the Lagos-based SBM Intelligence geopolitical consultancy firm.

Despite a history of coups following its independence from France in 1960, Benin has enjoyed relative calm in the past two decades. The country is set to elect a new president in April, as Talon is set to leave office after a decade in power.