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| General Abdourahamane Tiani |
The failed coup attempt in Benin on December 7, 2025, raises serious questions about the possible involvement of the neighboring Nigerien military junta. Beninese investigators are trying to determine whether General Abdourahamane Tiani's junta was warned in advance of the plot, or even collaborated with the mutineers.
The coup attempt was led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, who briefly seized control of state television to announce the overthrow of President Patrice Talon. The coup plotters justified the attempt by citing the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin, exacerbated by jihadist incursions. It was quickly thwarted by loyalist forces, supported by Nigerian airstrikes and ECOWAS troops deployed from Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. France provided intelligence and logistical support.
According to information from Le Monde, citing multiple sources in Benin and Niger, the Nigerien junta was reportedly informed beforehand and may have collaborated with the coup plotters.
Tensions between Benin and Niger have escalated since the 2023 coup in Niger, when President Talon supported a potential ECOWAS intervention against the junta. Borders remain closed, and mutual accusations of destabilization plots persist.
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) which includes Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso has been under intense scrutiny regarding its potential for broader influence, although no direct evidence of coordination within the AES has emerged, aside from suspicions surrounding Niger.
President Talon condemned the attempted coup, calling it “treason,” and promised that those responsible would be held accountable. The fugitive conspirators, including Tigri, are believed to have taken refuge in Togo, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
Niamey has not yet officially responded to these allegations. Investigations are continuing amid heightened vigilance.