Benin thwarted a coup attempt by military officers who claimed to have ousted the president, just months before national elections in which Patrice Talon is due to hand over power.

Interior Minister Alassane Seidou called the events an attempt to destabilize the state, saying the armed forces had regained control. Earlier Sunday, soldiers identifying as the Comité Militaire pour la Refondation claimed to have taken control in response to worsening security in the north, economic mismanagement, and “widespread abuses under Talon’s administration.”

Benin’s neighbors condemned the attempted takeover, with the Economic Community of West African States signaling readiness to deploy its standby force to protect “the territorial integrity of Benin,” according to a statement.

Authorities quickly brought the attempted coup under control, but the episode could still signal risks for investors, potentially slowing economic momentum and reducing the country’s investment appeal, Léopold Adjakpa, Executive Director of the Private Investors Council in Benin, said by phone. The country has roughly $2.6 billion of eurobonds of various maturities outstanding, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Talon, who has not appeared publicly or commented on the coup attempt, is safe as the army regains control, according to a person familiar with the matter. The country has arrested a dozen soldiers over the incident, AFP reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Had the attempt succeeded, Benin would have become the ninth country in the region to experience a coup since 2020.

A former businessman, Talon secured a second term in 2021 with 86% of the vote after the main opposition party leader and ex-President Thomas Boni Yayi was barred from running. He’s set to step down in 2026 and has chosen Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni — widely credited with guiding Benin’s strong economic performance — as his successor for the April elections.

One of Africa’s top cotton producers, Benin has sought to diversify an economy that grew 6.7% in 2024, up from 6.4% the previous year, according to World Bank data. That apparent economic progress has unfolded alongside the arrest of political opponents and a growing Islamist insurgency in the country’s north. It remains one of African’s poorest nations, with GDP per capita of about $1,500, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Juntas have seized control in a belt of countries that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea since 2020, with Mali, Niger, Guinea and Burkina Faso also under military rule. The takeovers have been rooted in economic malaise and weak governance that have fed frustration among civilians and the spread of extremist violence.

Soldiers who claimed earlier in the morning to have taken control were still inside the state TV station around 10 a.m. local time Sunday, holding staff while the National Guard surrounded the building. They announced the suspension of all institutions and political party activities, and said Benin’s borders would remain closed until further notice, adding that the country’s international commitments and human rights would be respected.

Residents reported hearing gunfire in Cotonou early Sunday, as police and military forces positioned themselves at key intersections and around the port, heightening uncertainty about the situation. The French embassy said shots were also heard near the president’s residence around 8 a.m., according to a post on its Facebook page.

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(With assistance from Baudelaire Mieu.)

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