The Economic Community of West African States has issued a strong condemnation of an attempted military takeover in Benin Republic, warning that it stands ready to deploy its regional standby force to defend the country’s constitutional order following reports of soldiers claiming to have removed President Patrice Talon from power.
Gunfire and confusion gripped parts of Cotonou on Sunday after a group identifying themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” appeared on state television to announce they had ousted Talon from office. The dramatic broadcast came amid reports of disturbances near Camp Guezo, close to the president’s official residence in the economic capital.
ECOWAS responded swiftly to the unfolding crisis, releasing a statement from Abuja expressing deep concern over the developments. The regional bloc described the attempted takeover as an unconstitutional move that subverts the democratic will of the Beninese people, calling for full respect of the country’s constitution.
The commission commended security forces for their efforts to restore calm and warned coup plotters they would face consequences for their actions. ECOWAS declared it would hold the leaders of the plot both individually and collectively responsible for any loss of life and property resulting from the attempted takeover.
Signaling its determination to prevent another democratic collapse in the region, ECOWAS stated it would support the Beninese government and people in all necessary forms, including the deployment of the regional standby force to defend the constitution and territorial integrity of Benin.
The presidency moved quickly to counter the military announcement, insisting that President Talon remained secure and that loyalist forces were regaining control of the situation. According to a statement from Talon’s office to AFP, the coup plotters represent only a small group that managed to seize control of the television station, while the regular army works to restore order across the city and country.
The French embassy in Cotonou reported disturbances and advised French nationals to remain indoors as gunfire echoed near Camp Guezo. The diplomatic mission used social media platform X to alert its citizens about the security situation, highlighting the volatile nature of events unfolding in the West African nation.
The attempted coup comes at a particularly sensitive time for West Africa, a region that has experienced a troubling wave of military takeovers in recent years. Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea have all witnessed successful coups since 2020, raising concerns about democratic backsliding across the Sahel and broader West African region.
Benin, despite being regarded as one of West Africa’s more stable democracies in recent decades, carries its own history of coups and attempted military takeovers. The country experienced significant political instability in earlier periods, though it had largely avoided the kind of upheaval that has plagued some of its neighbors in recent years.
President Talon, a 67-year-old former businessman known as the “cotton king” of Cotonou due to his success in the agricultural export sector, has governed Benin since 2016. Under constitutional provisions, he is scheduled to step down in April 2026 at the conclusion of his second and final term as president.
The timing of the attempted takeover, coming just months before Talon’s constitutionally mandated departure from office, adds another layer of complexity to the situation. Questions remain about the motivations behind the plot and whether it relates to concerns about the upcoming transition of power or other political grievances within the country.
