By Ayomide Otitoju
Military officers in Benin Republic on Sunday announced that they had seized control of the government, dissolving all state institutions in a televised address on national broadcaster ORTB.
Identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation, the officers declared that President Patrice Talon and all political officeholders had been removed from office. The announcement marks a dramatic escalation in the country’s political landscape, which had faced growing tensions in recent years.
President Talon, in office since 2016, had previously indicated he would step down in April 2026 after the next presidential election. His administration has faced internal security challenges, including the arrest of Djimon Tevoedjre, commander of the republican guard, in September 2024 over an alleged coup attempt.
Benin Republic now joins a widening list of West African countries experiencing military takeovers. The latest came just last month in Guinea-Bissau, where soldiers intervened amid electoral disputes after both President Umaro Embaló and opposition leader Fernando Dias declared victory prematurely.
Other countries currently under military rule in the region include Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger, reflecting a troubling resurgence of unconstitutional seizures of power across West Africa.
