The United Nations, regional powers and neighbouring Nigeria have thrown their weight behind President Patrice Talon after an attempted military takeover in Benin Republic was swiftly crushed.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a statement issued through his office, said he was deeply worried by the move to “unconstitutionally seize power” in the West African nation, warning that any attempt to derail democratic governance in Benin could further destabilise an already fragile region.
Guterres called for strict adherence to the rule of law and Benin’s constitution, stressing that democratic institutions must be protected from military interference.
He disclosed that his Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, is in direct contact with Beninese authorities, political actors and regional bodies to support efforts to fully restore calm.
According to the UN chief, the organisation remains committed to backing national and regional institutions in defending constitutional order “in Benin and across West Africa,” and is working closely with ECOWAS and the African Union on a coordinated response.
The remarks came as President Talon publicly thanked loyal security chiefs for helping to put down the revolt.
On Sunday morning, a group of soldiers identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation stormed state television, announced the dissolution of the government and declared that Talon had been removed from office. The self-styled junta claimed to be acting in the name of “refounding” the state.
Within hours, however, Benin’s interior minister announced that the attempt had been foiled and that units loyal to the president had regained control of strategic installations.
The failed putsch adds to a growing list of coups and attempted power grabs that have rattled West Africa in recent years. Just last month, a military takeover in Guinea-Bissau forced former President Umaro Embaló from office after a disputed election in which both he and the opposition candidate claimed victory, deepening worries about democratic backsliding in the region.
In response to the Benin crisis, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) moved quickly, describing the attempted overthrow as “a subversion of the will of the people of Benin”. The bloc said it had ordered the deployment of troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana to reinforce Benin’s army and “preserve constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin.”
The deployment underscores ECOWAS’ determination to deter copycat coups, after a series of successful putsches in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea, and now the turbulence in Guinea-Bissau.
Nigeria, Benin’s powerful eastern neighbour, played a frontline role in the response. President Bola Tinubu, who currently chairs ECOWAS, hailed the Nigerian armed forces for their part in helping to restore control in Cotonou.
In a statement issued by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, Abuja confirmed that Benin’s government submitted two formal requests for assistance – one for air support and another for ground troops. Nigerian forces subsequently joined loyal Beninese units in operations to dislodge the mutineers.
“It took some hours before the government’s loyal forces, assisted by Nigeria, took control and flushed out the coup plotters from the national television station,” Onanuga said, adding that Nigeria acted in line with ECOWAS decisions to defend democratic governance in the sub-region.
With the situation in Benin now described as “under control” by authorities, attention is turning to the fate of the plotters and the broader implications for regional stability. Both the UN and ECOWAS have signalled that they will continue to engage closely with Cotonou to ensure that constitutional order is fully consolidated and that the latest shock does not trigger further unrest in an already coup-weary neighbourhood.
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