Military officers in Benin Republic have announced that they have taken over power, dissolving the country’s democratic institutions.
The soldiers, who identified themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation, made the declaration during a national broadcast on state television on Sunday. In the announcement, they confirmed that President Patrice Talon and all holders of political office had been removed from their positions, adding that all state institutions now stand dissolved.
President Talon has led the country since 2016 and had previously stated his intention to leave office after the presidential election scheduled for April 2026.
The latest development comes just over a year after Djimon Tevoedjre, commander of the Republican Guard and head of Talon’s security, was arrested following an attempted coup in September 2024.
With this takeover, Benin Republic becomes the newest West African nation to fall under military rule. Only last month, soldiers in Guinea-Bissau seized power after President Umaro Embaló and his main challenger, Fernando Dias, both claimed victory in the country’s election despite the absence of official results from the electoral commission.
Other West African countries currently under military governments include Burkina Faso (since 2022), Guinea (2021), Mali (2020), and Niger (2023).
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