Bénin has become the latest addition to the growing list of African nations experiencing military attempts to seize political control since 2020. A short-lived takeover attempt occurred on a Sunday, lasting only a few hours before government officials confirmed the situation was under control.
In a scenario that has become increasingly common across Afrique de l’Ouest, a group of soldiers appeared on Bénin state television to declare the removal of President Patrice Talon and the dissolution of the current administration following a rapid power grab.
Shortly after, the Interior Minister of Bénin, Alassane Seidou, released an online video stating that the coup d’État had been successfully thwarted. According to Seidou, the soldiers involved “initiated a mutiny with the intent to undermine the State and its institutions,” while emphasizing that the national army remains “loyal to the Republic.”
Below is a chronology of military takeovers across the continent, often fueled by disputed elections, constitutional changes, security failures, and widespread frustration among the youth:
Mali: August 2020 and May 2021
Since August 2020, Mali has endured two consecutive coups. Military personnel mutinied and detained high-ranking officials near Bamako following weeks of public demonstrations calling for the exit of President Ibrahim Keïta, who faced allegations of corruption and failing to stop armed insurgencies.
Colonel Assimi Goïta, the military leader, initially agreed to a power-sharing arrangement with civilian President Bah Ndaw, serving as Vice President. However, in 2021, Goïta deposed Ndaw after internal disputes and took the presidency himself, subsequently pushing back scheduled elections from 2022 to 2027.
Mali is now part of a trio of landlocked West African nations, alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, governed by military juntas that have formed their own alliance after withdrawing from CEDEAO.
Tchad: April 2021
Following his father’s passing in 2021, General Mahamat Idriss Déby seized authority, maintaining his family’s thirty-year rule over this Central African nation.
Three years later, he conducted promised elections and was declared the winner, though the opposition labeled the results as fraudulent. Since then, Déby has tightened control over dissenters. Notably, former Prime Minister Succès Masra, a prominent opposition figure, received a 20-year prison sentence earlier this year.
Guinée: September 2021
After over a decade in power, Alpha Condé was ousted by a military unit led by Mamady Doumbouya. This followed a controversial 2020 constitutional amendment that allowed Condé to seek a third term.
Doumbouya is currently a candidate for the December elections. He aims to transition from military to civilian leadership after a referendum earlier this year permitted junta members to run for office and extended presidential terms to seven years.
Soudan: October 2021
The military in Soudan, under General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, executed a coup in October 2021, removing Omar el-Béchir, who had ruled for 26 years.
Burhan initially shared governance with Muhammad Dangalo (known as Hemetti), the leader of the Forces de soutien rapide (FSR). However, by April 2023, the tension between the two leaders erupted into a violent conflict that continues to devastate the country.
Burkina Faso: January and September 2022
Mirroring the situation in Mali, Burkina Faso suffered two coups within a single year. In January 2022, Roch Kaboré was removed by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba. By September, Captain Ibrahim Traoré ousted Damiba, citing the same reason: a failing security situation.
Traoré has remained in power since and dissolved the independent electoral commission this past July.
Niger: July 2023
General Abdourahamane Tchiani overthrew Mohamed Bazoum, interrupting a period of democratic transition in Niger. This takeover sparked a major diplomatic crisis with CEDEAO, which threatened military intervention to restore Bazoum.
The standoff resulted in Niger joining Burkina Faso and Mali to establish the Alliance des États du Sahel.
Gabon: August 2023
Shortly after President Ali Bongo was declared the winner of the 2023 election for a third term, military officers appeared on television to announce they were taking control. They invalidated the election results and dissolved all state bodies.
Brice Oligui Nguema, a relative of Bongo, assumed leadership and was later declared the winner of the presidential election held in April.
Madagascar: October 2025
Driven by anger over persistent utility shortages, young protesters in Madagascar took to the streets to demand the resignation of Andry Rajoelina.
Rather than stepping down, Rajoelina dissolved his cabinet, which ultimately led to a military intervention in the Southern African nation.
Guinée-Bissau: November 2025
On November 26, soldiers in Guinée-Bissau seized power following a disputed presidential vote. Critics and opposition members suggested the coup was orchestrated to prevent the incumbent’s defeat.
Both Umaro Sissoco Embaló and Fernando Dias claimed victory in the November 23 election. After being released, Embaló fled to Sénégal. The new military council has since appointed several allies of the former president to key positions.
Bénin: December 2025
Less than two weeks after the events in Guinée-Bissau, soldiers in Bénin launched a similar takeover attempt following gunfire near the presidential palace.
A faction calling itself the Comité militaire pour la refondation announced on national TV that Patrice Talon was no longer in power. They named Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri as the head of the committee.
However, within hours, official reports confirmed the coup d’État had failed and that the military forces remained dedicated to the constitutional order.
