Order has largely returned to Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin, after a failed coup attempt that rattled the city on Sunday. Traffic resumed Monday December 8th, shops reopened, and residents gradually returned to daily routines under continued security presence.
The coup plotters, a small group of soldiers calling themselves the “Military Committee for Refoundation” had seized the national television station early Sunday and declared that they had removed President Patrice Talon and dissolved all state institutions.
However, loyalist forces responded swiftly, reclaiming control of critical buildings by afternoon with assistance from regional partners, including intervention by neighbouring countries under the mandate of ECOWAS. Nigerian air and ground forces reportedly played a key role in quelling the mutiny.
In a televised address, President Talon praised the loyalty of the army, described the coup attempt as a “senseless adventure,” and vowed to bring the mutineers to justice.
Although around a dozen soldiers have been arrested, the alleged ringleader remains at large and the fate of some hostages taken during the coup remains uncertain.
The rapid quelling of the coup may restore institutional order, but the episode has exposed deep anxieties about the country’s political stability, especially with general elections scheduled for April 2026.
