Benin Soldiers Announce Coup, Depose President Talon

Soldiers on Benin national TV announced they have ousted President Patrice Talon and seized power, suspending the constitution and shutting all land borders and the country’s airspace.

The French embassy reported gunfire near the president’s residence in Cotonou and urged French citizens to stay indoors for their safety.

“We are suspending the constitution and closing borders,” Lieutenant Colonel Tigri Pascal said, indicating he will lead the newly formed military transition council.

The junta justified the takeover by criticising Talon’s management; Talon, 67, was due to leave office next year after his second term, with elections slated for April.

Talon, known as the “king of cotton,” first won the 2016 election, pledged not to seek a third term and had already named a successor.

This coup follows the overthrow of Guinea‑Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló a week earlier and adds to a series of West African coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger.

Ghana’s foreign ministry has warned Ghanaian businesses and travellers to monitor developments closely and avoid non‑essential travel to Benin until stability returns.

International observers now await a clear roadmap from the transition council, while analysts warn the move could further destabilise an already volatile region.

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