In the early hours of Sunday, a small group of soldiers in the Republic of Benin launched what appeared to be a coup attempt — storming toward the residence of Patrice Talon in Cotonou before turning to seize the headquarters of the national broadcaster Office de Radiodiffusion et Télévision du Bénin (ORTB).
On live television, the soldiers — identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR) and led by Pascal Tigri — declared that Talon had been removed, the constitution suspended, state institutions dissolved, and borders closed.
However, within hours, loyal units of the armed forces and the national guard mobilised. They surrounded the TV station, cut off the broadcast signal, and secured key locations across the capital. The interior minister, Alassane Seidou, later addressed the nation, confirming the coup had been foiled and urging citizens to resume normal activities.
Authorities confirmed that President Talon is safe and that the attempted mutiny did not succeed in capturing the presidential residence or actual instruments of state power. Meanwhile, regional bodies such as African Union (AU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) strongly condemned the attempted takeover as a breach of constitutional order.
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