Benin foiled coup: US reviews travel warning as hostages regain freedom

Calm has returned to Cotonou following a failed coup attempt in the Benin Republic on Sunday,
the United States Embassy confirmed on Monday, lifting its earlier shelter-in-place advisory for
American citizens in the country.

In a statement, the embassy said it had reassessed conditions on the ground after a turbulent 24
hours. “The US Embassy in Cotonou assesses that the situation in Cotonou is calm and has
returned to normal. We are lifting the shelter-in-place recommendation,” the statement read,
while urging American citizens to continue exercising caution, avoid crowds and demonstrations,
and maintain a low profile.

The advisory adjustment followed a dramatic series of events in which a faction of soldiers,
calling themselves the “Military Committee for Refoundation,” attempted to overthrow President
Patrice Talon.

The mutineers appeared on state television claiming they had dissolved the government and
suspended the constitution, shortly after an unsuccessful assault on the president’s heavily
guarded residence.

The soldiers briefly seized the national broadcaster to project legitimacy and rally support,
contributing to widespread uncertainty. Borders were reportedly closed, and political parties
suspended, further heightening tension across the country.

By later Sunday, Interior Minister Alassane Seidou announced that loyalist forces had regained
control of key locations in Cotonou. Officials confirmed that at least 14 soldiers involved in the
uprising were arrested, while others fled.

Two senior army officers, Chief of Army Staff Abou Issa and Army Chief Colonel Faizou Gomina, who had been taken hostage during the coup attempt, were released on Monday following government action supported by Nigerian forces.

AFP journalists in Cotonou observed a city gradually returning to normal, with traffic resuming
and roads reopening, although some military tanks remained stationed across key locations.
President Talon appeared on television later on Sunday, reassuring citizens that the situation was
“completely under control” and warning that the coup plotters would face punishment.