A quick and well-organized response from national and regional forces has stopped an attempted military coup in Benin, a West African nation. The bold plan happened on Sunday when rebel soldiers took control of the state television station to announce the end of the government. However, security forces defeated them decisively. President Patrice Talon later said the situation was "totally under control." This is an important victory for legal order in a region that has recently seen a lot of political trouble.
The crisis started early in the morning. A group of soldiers, calling themselves the "Military Committee for Refoundation," attacked the national television offices. During a broadcast, they said they had removed the president and were closing all government institutions. The group's supposed leader was named as Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri. At the same time, people heard gunfire near the president's home in Cotonou, the economic capital. The rebels also took two high-ranking military officers as hostages. This showed a daring and coordinated attack on the state.
The government reacted immediately and received strong support from regional allies. After a formal request from Benin, neighboring Nigeria, led by President Bola Tinubu, sent fighter jets into Benin's airspace. Nigeria's government stated this air power was key to "dislodging the coup plotters" from the TV station and an army camp. In the afternoon, large explosions were heard in Cotonou. These are widely thought to be from an airstrike by Nigerian planes, which were seen entering the country earlier.
By the end of the day, Interior Minister Alassane Seidou confirmed the attempt to destabilize the country had failed. Security forces arrested 14 people linked to the plot; 12 of them were allegedly involved in taking over the television station. The two kidnapped officials were freed, though the details of their release are not clear. A search for other people involved continues.
The failed coup has wider importance for the region. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) quickly sent a regional standby force with troops from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone. Their job is to support the legal government and protect Benin's borders. This group action shows a regional promise to stop the spread of military takeovers, which have recently caused instability in several nearby countries. While the direct threat in Benin is over, the event reveals deeper problems within the military and is a clear warning about the fragile political balance in West Africa.