Benin coup attempt foiled by loyalist troops: Minister

COTONOU, Dec 07 (BBC): Benin's interior minister has appeared on national TV to announce that an attempted coup in the West Africa nation has been thwarted.

Earlier, a group of soldiers, led by Lt-Col Pascal Tigri, had made a broadcast saying they had ousted President Patrice Talon and suspended the constitution.

In social media posts, the French embassy in Benin said gunfire had been reported near the residence of the president in the main city of Cotonou, which is the seat of government. Eyewitnesses told the BBC that they had heard gunshots and some journalists working for the state broadcaster were held hostage.

A presidential adviser has since told the BBC that the president is safe and is at the French embassy.

"Early on Sunday morning, 7 December 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny aimed at destabilising the state and its institutions," Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said

"Faced with this situation, the Beninese armed forces and their leadership, true to their oath, remained committed to the republic," he said.