Benin interior minister says coup foiled; 13 soldiers arrested as state TV restored
Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said in a Facebook video that a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny in Benin on Dec. 7 that was foiled, with local media reporting 13 soldiers arrested while the status of alleged coup leader Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri remained unclear. Gunfire was heard and soldiers patrolled parts of Cotonou as state TV and public radio signals were briefly cut and later restored; ECOWAS condemned the attempt and pledged to defend Benin’s constitution, and there was no official word on President Patrice Talon’s whereabouts.
📌 Key Facts
- Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said in a Facebook video that a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny on Dec. 7 and that the coup attempt was foiled.
- Local media reported 13 soldiers were arrested; the status of alleged coup leader Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri remains unclear.
- Gunfire was heard and soldiers patrolled parts of Cotonou during the incident.
- State TV and public radio signals were briefly cut during the mutiny but have since been restored.
- ECOWAS condemned the attempted coup and pledged support to defend Benin’s constitution and territorial integrity.
- As of the report, there was no official word on President Patrice Talon’s whereabouts.
📰 Sources (2)
Attempted coup in Benin has been ‘foiled,’ country’s interior minister says
New information:
- Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said in a Facebook video that a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny on Dec. 7 and that the coup attempt was foiled.
- Local media reported 13 soldiers were arrested; the status of alleged coup leader Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri remains unclear.
- Gunfire was heard and soldiers patrolled parts of Cotonou; state TV and public radio signals, briefly cut, were restored.
- ECOWAS issued a statement condemning the attempt and pledging support to defend Benin’s constitution and territorial integrity.
- No official word on President Patrice Talon’s whereabouts as of the report.