Soldiers in Benin Republic have announced that they have taken control of the country, dissolving the sitting government and declaring a new military authority.
Gatekeepers News reports that the declaration was made early Sunday during a broadcast on the state-run television station, where uniformed officers identifying themselves as members of the Military Committee for Refoundation said they had assumed full command of national affairs.
In the televised address, the soldiers stated that President Patrice Talon and all political officeholders had been removed from office, adding that state institutions, including the constitutional structures of government, had been dissolved.
They introduced Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri as the head of the newly formed military leadership, claiming that their intervention was necessary to refound the nation and restore “public order”.
Before the broadcast, heavy gunfire was heard near the president’s residence and other key areas in the capital. Witnesses said armed soldiers took over the national broadcaster before making the announcement, and armoured vehicles were seen moving around the presidential palace as everything was happening.
Subsequently, the presidency announced that President Talon was safe, adding that “regular army” was regaining command of key installations. The president’s whereabouts however remains unknown.
Talon’s administration previously faced an attempted coup in September 2024, during which Djimon Tevoedjre, commander of the republican guard and head of presidential security, was arrested.
