Bénin has recently found itself added to the expanding roster of African nations where military officials have attempted to seize control since 2020. This particular military takeover, a swift and dramatic event, unfolded over several hours on a Sunday before national authorities confirmed its thwarting.

In a scenario that has become increasingly common across West Africa, a contingent of soldiers appeared on Bénin’s state television on Sunday, declaring the removal of President Patrice Talon and the dissolution of the government following their rapid assumption of power.

Just a few hours later, Bénin’s Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, released an online video asserting that the attempted coup d’état had been successfully foiled. Seidou elaborated that the soldiers involved had “instigated a mutiny with the objective of destabilizing the state and its institutions,” while reaffirming the army’s unwavering “commitment to the Republic.”

Below is a detailed chronology of military coups and attempted takeovers across Africa, often fueled by disputed elections, constitutional upheaval, escalating security crises, and widespread youth discontent:

Mali: august 2020 and may 2021

Since August 2020, Mali has endured two successive military coups. Initially, a group of soldiers mutinied, detaining high-ranking military officers near Bamako. This occurred after weeks of civilian demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Ibrahim Keïta, who faced accusations of corruption and a perceived failure to combat armed groups.

Colonel Assimi Goïta, the military leader, subsequently entered into a power-sharing arrangement with civilian President Bah Ndaw, with Goïta assuming the role of vice-president in the transitional government. However, in 2021, Goïta orchestrated Ndaw’s overthrow following a series of disagreements, establishing himself as president. He then postponed an election originally slated for 2022 until 2027.

Mali is part of a three-country alliance of landlocked West African nations, alongside Burkina Faso and Niger. These countries, now under military juntas, have formed their own bloc after withdrawing from ECOWAS, signaling strong opposition to a swift return to democratic rule.

Chad: april 2021

Following the death of his father in 2021, General Mahamat Idriss Déby swiftly seized power, extending three decades of family rule in this Central African nation.

Three years later, he held the election he had promised upon taking control. Déby was declared the victor, a result widely dismissed by the opposition as fraudulent. He has since intensified the crackdown on dissent. Former Prime Minister Succès Masra, a prominent opposition figure, was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this year.

Guinea: september 2021

After 11 years in office, Alpha Condé was deposed by a military faction led by Mamady Doumbouya. In 2020, Condé had controversially amended the Constitution to enable him to seek a third term.

Doumbouya is now a candidate for the December elections, seeking to shed his military uniform. This follows a referendum earlier this year that permitted junta members to run for office and extended the presidential term length from five to seven years.

Sudan: october 2021

The Sudanese army, under the command of General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, executed a coup in October 2021, removing Omar el-Béchir, who had governed the country for 26 years.

Burhan subsequently entered a power-sharing agreement with Muhammad Dangalo, widely known as Hemetti, leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

By April 2023, a simmering rivalry between the two leaders erupted into one of the world’s most devastating conflicts, as categorized by the United Nations. The brutal war continues to this day.

Burkina Faso: january and september 2022

Similar to its neighbor Mali, Burkina Faso has experienced two consecutive coups. In January 2022, President Roch Kaboré was ousted by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba. By September, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who commanded an artillery unit within the Burkinabè army, deposed Damiba, citing the identical justification as the preceding coup: a worsening security situation.

Traoré has since governed the country. In July, he dissolved the independent electoral commission.

Niger: july 2023

General Abdourahamane Tchiani overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, bringing an abrupt end to a rare period of democratic transition in Niger. This dramatic coup triggered a significant crisis within ECOWAS, which threatened military intervention if Bazoum was not reinstated and the country did not return to democracy.

The crisis subsequently fractured the region, with Niger aligning with Burkina Faso and Mali to establish the Alliance of Sahel States.

Gabon: august 2023

Shortly after President Ali Bongo, who had been in power for 14 years and was seeking a third term, was declared the winner of the 2023 election, a group of soldiers appeared on television to announce their seizure of power. They annulled the election results and dissolved all state institutions.

Brice Oligui Nguema, a cousin of Bongo, assumed leadership and has since governed Gabon. He was declared the victor in the presidential election held in April.

Madagascar: october 2025

Expressing profound frustration over persistent water shortages and frequent power outages, young people in Madagascar took to the streets, demanding the resignation of former President Andry Rajoelina.

Instead, Rajoelina dissolved his government and refused to step down, culminating in a military takeover in this Southern African nation.

Guinea-Bissau: november 2025

On November 26, soldiers in Guinea-Bissau seized power following a contested presidential election just three days prior. Critics, including the opposition, characterized the takeover as a staged coup designed to prevent the incumbent president’s defeat.

Both the outgoing President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and his primary challenger, Fernando Dias, claimed victory in the November 23 election.

Embaló was later released and permitted to flee to neighboring Sénégal, from where he has since departed. The newly established military junta proceeded with appointments, including several individuals allied with the deposed president.

Bénin: december 2025

Less than two weeks after the events in Guinea-Bissau, soldiers orchestrated a similar takeover in Bénin, following reports of gunfire near the presidential palace.

A military faction, identifying itself as the Military Committee for Refoundation, broadcast on state television, announcing the removal of the country’s leader, Patrice Talon, and the dissolution of state institutions.

The soldiers named Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri as the president of this military committee.

However, within hours, officials declared that the attempted coup had been successfully thwarted by the armed forces, reiterating the army’s unwavering “commitment to the Republic.”