Benin Army Officers Freed After Failed Coup Attempt as Region Faces Rising Instability

COTONOU, BENIN — Two senior Benin army officers who were taken hostage during an attempted coup have been released, government and military sources confirmed early Monday. Their release comes just one day after Benin’s government announced that it had successfully quashed a military takeover attempt with support from neighbouring Nigeria, amid growing concerns about political instability spreading across West Africa.

Calm gradually returned to the economic capital, Cotonou, where traffic resumed and residents went about their business, AFP journalists reported. On Sunday, a group of soldiers had taken over national television and declared that President Patrice Talon’s government had been overthrown. Their announcement briefly plunged the city into uncertainty before the government retook control of broadcasting facilities.

President Talon later appeared on national television, assuring citizens that the crisis had been “completely brought under control.” The 67-year-old leader is scheduled to step down in April after completing two presidential terms, as required by Benin’s constitution. His upcoming departure has triggered intense political interest in the country, which has also struggled with jihadist violence in its northern regions in recent years.

Benin Army Officers Held Hostage Now Safe

The foiled coup attempt adds Benin to a growing list of West African nations affected by military uprisings. Since 2020, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and most recently Guinea-Bissau have each experienced coups or attempted coups. Analysts say this wave of instability reflects deepening governance, economic, and security challenges across the region.

Benin’s government acted swiftly on Sunday, calling on its neighbour Nigeria for military support. Nigeria responded by deploying forces and conducting targeted operations near Cotonou, according to a statement issued late Sunday. The rapid intervention signalled a clear message from Nigeria: it will not permit further destabilisation along its borders.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also announced that troops from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone were being deployed to support Benin’s efforts to “preserve constitutional order.” The regional bloc, which has faced criticism for its failure to intervene in Niger’s 2023 coup, convened an emergency meeting in Abidjan on Monday to assess the situation in Benin.

The United Nations, the African Union, and France—Benin’s former colonial power—also condemned the coup attempt.

According to military sources, the two senior Benin army officers who were taken hostage—Chief of Army Staff Abou Issa and Colonel Faizou Gomina—were freed overnight between Sunday and Monday. They were reportedly released near the National Guard headquarters in Cotonou.

“Both of them are free,” one source confirmed, though it remains unclear how many individuals participated in the coup attempt or how many suspects are still at large. Military sources suggested that about a dozen soldiers had already been arrested. The alleged leader of the coup attempt, Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, is currently on the run, according to a source close to the investigation.

By Monday morning, the tense atmosphere around the National Guard area had partially eased. Roads that had been blocked were reopened, although AFP journalists noted that tanks remained stationed at key intersections across the city as a precaution.

In his national address late Sunday, President Talon strongly condemned those involved in the coup attempt, promising that “this treachery will not go unpunished.” The president praised the resilience of state institutions and the loyalty of the majority of the military, asserting that Benin had “stood firm” and “cleared the last pockets of resistance.”

The failed coup dominated newspaper front pages on Monday. State-owned daily La Nation led with the headline: “The situation is completely under control, reassures Patrice Talon.” Meanwhile, Matin Libre ran the headline: “A coup attempt foiled.”

Benin is preparing for a presidential election in April, when Talon is constitutionally required to step down. His designated successor, Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is widely regarded as a frontrunner.

However, the political environment remains tense. The country’s main opposition party has been barred from participating in the election, with authorities claiming its candidate failed to secure enough sponsorships—a requirement critics say is often used to sideline challengers. Although Talon has been praised for stimulating economic growth, his opponents accuse him of tightening political space and suppressing dissent in a nation once known for vibrant multiparty democracy.

Benin’s political history is marked by several coups and attempted coups since its independence from France in 1960. While the country enjoyed a reputation for stability in the 1990s and 2000s, recent years have seen rising tensions, amplified by security threats in the north and allegations of democratic backsliding.

The swift release of the two Benin army officers and the government’s firm response may reassure citizens for now. However, the attempted coup underscores the growing fragility of political systems in West Africa—a reality that continues to threaten regional peace and stability.

Source- EWN