A group of soldiers appeared on Benin’s state television on Sunday, announcing the dissolution of the government in what Al Jazeera reports as an apparent coup attempt in the West African nation.

The troops, identifying themselves as members of the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR), declared that they had removed President Patrice Talon from office and dissolved all state institutions.
According to their televised statement, the CMR had met and decided that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic.”

Talon’s whereabouts remained unclear at the time of the announcement.

The French Embassy in Benin confirmed on X that gunfire had been heard near Camp Guezo, close to the president’s official residence, and advised French nationals to stay indoors for safety.

Shortly after the broadcast, the presidency told AFP that President Talon was safe and that loyal government forces were restoring order.
“This is a small group of people who only control the television,” the presidency said. “The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure.”

Talon, who has governed since 2016, was expected to leave office in April after a decade in power.

The incident adds to a growing list of military takeovers in Africa in recent years.
Just last month, army officials in Guinea-Bissau staged a coup, installing General Horta Inta-A to lead a one-year transitional government—marking the country’s ninth coup attempt since independence in 1974.

In 2023, Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba was ousted by military leader Brice Oligui Nguema, ending his family’s 56-year hold on power. That same year, Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown and replaced by military ruler Abdourahamane Tchiani.

Burkina Faso saw two coups in 2022, the second bringing Captain Ibrahim Traoré to power after the removal of President Paul-Henri Damiba.
Mali also fell to a military takeover in 2020 when General Assimi Goïta seized power.

The developments in Benin underscore a troubling resurgence of coups across the region, raising fresh concerns about political stability in West Africa.