Sunday December 7, 2025
www.thenewsdesk.ng
By Idorenyin UMOREN, Security Evaluator
Lieutenant-Colonel Tigri Pascal and a group of soldiers announce a coup d’état in Bénin Republic, Sunday , December 7, claiming to have overthrown incumbent President Patrice Talon; says political parties suspended and all land, air, and sea borders close.
This fresh bout of political upheaval struck West Africa, coming just days after soldiers seized control in Guinea-Bissau. This time, a group of troops appeared on Benin Republic’s state broadcaster to announce that they had dissolved the government in what appears to be a coup.
The faction, identifying itself as the Military Committee for Refoundation, declared on Sunday that the president and all state institutions had been removed.
President Patrice Talon, who has governed since 2016, had been expected to leave office next April following the presidential election. His party’s chosen contender, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, had been widely seen as the frontrunner. Meanwhile, opposition hopeful Renaud Agbodjo was barred by the electoral commission, which ruled that he lacked the required number of sponsors.
In a separate development last month, lawmakers approved an extension of the presidential mandate from five to seven years, although the two-term limit remains unchanged.
However, The presidency told AFP Sunday that Benin’s President Patrice Talon is safe and the army is regaining control, after a group of soldiers said they had ousted him from power.
“This is a small group of people who only control the television,” his office said. “The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure.”
In Cotonou, Benin’s economic capital and home to the country’s leading institutions, the situation remained calm this morning despite a tense start. Residents awoke to repeated messages on Benin TV, the country’s most-watched public broadcaster. In the footage, individuals in military uniforms claimed that President Patrice Talon — now completing his second term and, consistent with his pledge, not seeking a third — had been removed from office. They announced that a lieutenant colonel named Tigri Pascal was taking control of a “committee for military refoundation.”
According to subsequent updates circulating on social media, the attempted takeover appears to have failed. The president and the Speaker of the National Assembly are reportedly safe. A clash is said to have occurred earlier in the morning as security forces moved to retake the state broadcaster, and the presidential compound has allegedly been secured.
Witnesses who were out early said they saw a convoy of military vehicles speeding along the coastal road toward the administrative district. It remains unclear whether these were loyalist reinforcements or part of the group behind the attempted coup. Other accounts describe heightened police presence and checkpoints across several key arteries in the city.
In neighbourhoods such as Agla and Calavi, slightly removed from the administrative centre but close to major activity zones, motorcycle traffic appeared normal, and most residents stayed indoors, with no signs of panic or large gatherings.
This morning, December 7, a Wikipedia page was created for Lieutenant Colonel Tigri, the officer named in the video announcing the takeover. A Defence Ministry webpage previously referenced by Google indicated that he had been reassigned from a command position in early 2025, though that information is no longer accessible.
The presidency of Benin Republic says President Patrice Talon is unharmed in a protected area and that loyal forces are steadily restoring order after a group of soldiers announced a takeover early Sunday.
