Daily Digest Online

The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have issued forceful condemnations of Sunday's attempted military takeover in the Republic of Benin, denouncing it as an assault on democratic order and demanding the immediate restoration of constitutional rule. The condemnation follows reports that a group of military officers, identifying as the "Military Committee for Refoundation" and reportedly led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, seized the national television station in Cotonou. In a broadcast, they claimed to have dissolved state institutions and removed President Patrice Talon from power. According to Beninese media, the group also attacked the presidential residence in the city's Le Guézo neighborhood. African Union's "Zero Tolerance" Stance In a statement released on Sunday, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Yousouf, "strongly and unequi...

COTONOU, Benin — In the early hours of Sunday, December 7, 2025, soldiers appeared on state television in Benin to announce the dissolution of the government, the latest tremor in a region shaken by military takeovers. While government forces moved to assert control, the brief broadcast from the self-proclaimed "Military Committee for Refoundation" underscored a stark reality: West Africa, once a beacon of democratic progress, is now widely described as the world's "coup belt". The attempt in Benin—a nation celebrated for its political stability and where President Patrice Talon was preparing to respect term limits—marks a troubling expansion of this crisis. It follows the ninth successful coup in West and Central Africa since 2020, with soldiers seizing power just last month in Guinea-Bissau. This new wave of military interventions, often met with public celebration, represents not a sudden collapse but the culmination of deep-seated fa...

COTONOU, Benin — The government of Benin has announced that President Patrice Talon is safe and that loyalist security forces have successfully restored order following a brief but dramatic coup attempt by a faction of soldiers on Sunday. In an official statement, the presidency dismissed the actions of the rogue soldiers, who had earlier seized the national television station to declare Talon's removal. The government characterized the group as a marginal faction with minimal influence within the military. "This is a small group of individuals who only managed to seize the television station," the statement read. "The regular army is steadily regaining control. Both the city and the entire country remain completely secure." The announcement directly countered a broadcast made by soldiers identifying themselves as the "Military Committee for Refoundation," who had declared that they had removed the president from of...

COTONOU, Benin — A military faction has reportedly launched a coup attempt in Benin Republic, attacking the residence of President Patrice Talon and seizing control of national television early Sunday. According to reports from Beninese media, soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri assaulted the presidential residence in Cotonou's Le Guézo neighborhood. The situation escalated when Tigri appeared on national television, which was reportedly under military control, and declared himself the "chairman of the military re-establishment committee." The capital, Cotonou, remains in a state of high tension. Eyewitnesses report significant troop movements and deployments around key government and strategic locations across the city. As of Sunday morning, there has been no official statement from President Patrice Talon or his administration regarding the attacks on his residence or the unfolding military action. This development marks ...