Benin faces political upheaval after coup
Photo: Patrice Talon (wikimedia.org)
A coup took place in the West African country of Benin on Sunday, December 7. A group of military officers announced that they had taken power, removed President Patrice Talon from office, and dissolved the sitting government, according to BBC.
The French Embassy in Benin said on X that gunfire had been heard near the president’s residence in the capital, Cotonou, and urged French citizens to stay indoors for safety reasons.
The country’s national television reported that the military had removed President Patrice Talon from power and announced that they had taken control of the state. Lieutenant Colonel Tigri Pascal, they said, will lead the military transitional council.
The military explained their actions by expressing dissatisfaction with Talon’s governance. The 67-year-old president had one year left in his second term, with new elections scheduled for April.
Such coups have become increasingly common in West Africa in recent years — including in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger — raising concerns about growing instability in the region. Just a week ago, the government of President Umaro Sissoco Embalo was overthrown in neighboring Guinea-Bissau.
