Overview
- On Dec. 7, a group of soldiers read a statement on state television asserting they had removed President Patrice Talon and formed a "military revolutionary committee."
- The broadcast claimed all state governance was suspended and that borders and airspace were closed.
- The presidential palace said the president is safe and characterized the incident as a small group’s occupation of a television station.
- Officials asserted that regular forces had contained the situation, though independent verification of control or any closures was not available.
- Reports described gunfire near the presidential residence in Cotonou, and media accounts offered conflicting details as the situation continued to develop.