ECOWAS has ordered the immediate deployment of its standby force to the Republic of Benin after authorities in Cotonou said they had successfully suppressed a coup attempt by a group of soldiers. The regional bloc said the intervention is aimed at safeguarding Benin’s constitutional order and preventing further instability.
In a statement released on Sunday, ECOWAS confirmed that troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana will form the regional force. The deployment, it said, is in accordance with Article 25(e) of its protocol on conflict prevention and peacekeeping. It praised the Beninese government and the Republican Army for acting swiftly to regain control of key institutions.
The attempted coup unfolded early Sunday, when soldiers identifying themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” took over state television and declared a lieutenant colonel as their new leader. The group cited insecurity in northern Benin, neglect of fallen soldiers, and alleged unfair promotions as justification for their takeover attempt.
As the situation escalated, Nigeria responded to two urgent requests from Benin’s government, with President Bola Tinubu authorising the Nigerian Air Force to enter Beninese airspace. Fighter jets struck undisclosed targets, while Nigerian forces helped secure strategic sites under the coordination of Benin’s command authority.
Benin said the coup plotters were forced out of the national broadcaster and a military camp after Nigerian air support disrupted their positions. President Tinubu commended Nigeria’s military for its “gallantry” in helping protect Benin’s 35-year-old democracy from what he described as “anti-democratic elements.”
The Beninese government later announced the arrest of several soldiers linked to the attempted takeover. ECOWAS condemned the plot as an assault on the democratic will of the Beninese people, stressing that it would not tolerate unconstitutional changes of government within the region.
Benin, once infamous for repeated coups in the decades following independence, has been largely stable under President Patrice Talon, who is due to leave office in 2026. While credited with economic reforms, his administration faces criticism over political restrictions and the exclusion of the main opposition from next year’s presidential race.
