Intervention force in Benin: Nigerian soldiers thwart coup attempt!

Intervention force in Benin: Nigerian soldiers thwart coup attempt!

Things are turbulent in West Africa: a recently foiled coup attempt in Benin has shocked the region. Reported today, December 8, 2025 Radio Ennepe Ruhr that the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has decided on a military intervention force to protect the constitutional order in the country. The focus is on supporting the current government under President Patrice Talon, which is in the midst of widespread violence by insurgent soldiers.

Even before the Ecowas force came onto the scene, Nigerian soldiers had actively intervened. The Nigerian Air Force contributed air support at Benin's request and helped push back coup plotters who tried to take over the state television headquarters and a military base. As the fighting continued, explosions were heard in Cotonou, the seat of government, underlining the worrying situation. However, President Talon stated that the situation was now under control and thanked the armed forces for their loyalty to the constitution.

The background to the coup attempt

The coup attempt, involving a small group of mutinous soldiers, was accompanied by gunfire near the presidential palace and the closure of the borders. Interior Minister Alassane Seydou said that the intervention of the armed forces had successfully stopped the coup plotters' advance. There is currently no reliable information about victims or arrests, but there is widespread concern that Benin, one of the more stable democracies in West Africa, could be drawn into a vortex of unrest.

This concern is not unfounded. The international community, which includes the NZZ counts, notes that nine military coups have already taken place in Africa since 2020, with recent years seeing a particularly sharp increase in these coups. Many countries in the region, such as Mali and Burkina Faso, are battling the challenges of security crises, which ultimately encourages the coup plotters in their actions.

The role of the international community

The measures adopted by the Ecowas force, which also include soldiers from Sierra Leone, Ghana and Ivory Coast, raise the question of how international organizations should respond to such crises and how the role of the West in the region could change. After all, surveys have shown that many Africans are disappointed in their governments and feel a strong need for self-determination, which in turn largely encourages military coups.

While Benin, with around 15 million inhabitants, is considered one of the poorest states in the world, the focus is increasingly being placed on the pressing social and political problems in the region. The events in Benin are not just a local problem, but reflect a larger wave of unrest that cannot be ignored. In the coming weeks, we will increasingly focus on developments on site.