Benin’s security forces have arrested about a dozen soldiers, including alleged masterminds of a thwarted coup attempt, following an early-morning broadcast in which mutinous officers claimed to have toppled President Patrice Talon.
Military and security officials confirmed to AFP on Sunday, November 7, 2025, that 13 suspects were in custody.
All but one of the detainees are serving soldiers; the remaining suspect is a former member of the armed forces.
The arrests came hours after national television was briefly taken over by a group of uniformed officers who declared that they had removed President Talon from power and dissolved all state institutions.
The officers, who called themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation, said they had assumed control of the country.
Their announcement was quickly rebutted by the presidency, which assured AFP that President Talon was safe and that loyal troops were re-establishing order.
Authorities described the operation as an isolated mutiny with no real capacity to threaten stability.
A presidential official said, “This was the work of a small group who managed only to seize the television station. Regular forces are firmly in control. The capital and the entire country remain secure.”
Security operations were ongoing as loyalist units moved to fully restore authority after the failed putsch.
