Benin Intensifies Search for Fugitive Soldiers After Foiled Coup Attempt

Benin’s military on Monday continued a nationwide manhunt for soldiers still at large after a failed coup attempt that left several people dead and prompted swift regional military mobilisation.

Loyalist military sources confirmed that at least a dozen coup plotters had been arrested, and by Monday all hostages — including top-ranking officers — had been freed.

Cotonou, the country’s economic hub, had returned to normal activity by the afternoon, AFP reporters observed. This followed Sunday’s dramatic events in which a group of soldiers briefly appeared on national television claiming to have overthrown the government.

President Patrice Talon, 67, later addressed the nation on Sunday night, assuring citizens the situation was “completely under control.” Talon is set to leave office in April after completing the maximum two terms, even as the country faces growing jihadist threats in the north.

Violent Clashes and Casualties

According to government accounts, “violent clashes” erupted at the president’s Cotonou residence between the plotters and the Republican Guard, resulting in casualties on both sides. Among the dead was the wife of General Bertin Bada, Talon’s military chief of staff.

Sunday’s attempted coup adds to a troubling trend of military takeovers in West Africa, following recent coups in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and most recently Guinea-Bissau.

Nigeria and ECOWAS Respond

Benin called for immediate assistance from neighbouring Nigeria, which confirmed it had conducted military strikes in Cotonou and deployed troops to support loyalist forces.

ECOWAS also announced plans to send troops from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Sierra Leone to help preserve constitutional order. A scheduled ECOWAS meeting in Abidjan on Monday was later cancelled.

Search for Coup Leader Continues

A military source told AFP they could not yet confirm how many soldiers were involved or how many remained at large, though it was “presumed that many of them have fled” into rural areas. The source said the search was ongoing and additional arrests had been made.

Coup leader Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri is still on the run, according to multiple sources.

Two high-ranking officers — Army Chief of Staff Abou Issa and Colonel Faizou Gomina — who had been taken hostage were freed overnight.

Calls for Dialogue Amid Political Tension

In his Sunday address, Talon said the country had “stood firm” and “cleared the last pockets of resistance.” On Monday, roads leading to the presidential residence remained blocked, and tanks were seen across parts of Cotonou.

International bodies — including the UN, AU, ECOWAS, and France — swiftly condemned the coup attempt.

Although Talon cannot seek a third term, his preferred successor, Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is widely seen as a leading candidate for the April presidential election. Meanwhile, the main opposition Democrats party was barred from participating for not securing enough required sponsors.

In a statement on Monday, the party said it “rejects any seizure of power by force and strongly condemns these acts that do not honour our country.” It added that the episode highlighted the urgent need for political actors to “prioritise dialogue.”

Despite strong economic performance under Talon, critics accuse his administration of authoritarian tendencies in a country once celebrated as a model of democracy in West Africa.

Benin has experienced multiple coups and coup attempts since gaining independence from France in 1960.

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