Benin was thrown into chaos and drama this week as President Patrice Talon took center stage, applauding the nation’s military brass for stamping out an audacious coup attempt. In a televised spectacle, Talon lavished praise on the armed forces, crediting them for saving the republic and vowing that the “traitors” would face harsh punishment.

The dramatic coup story unfolded like a Hollywood thriller: a rogue group of soldiers calling themselves the “Military Committee for Refoundation” stormed state TV, announcing they’d dissolved the government. The bold move sent shockwaves through Benin, fueling widespread panic and fears of another West African nation falling to military rule.

But any dreams of regime change were quickly dashed. The government, led by the ever-vigilant Minister of Interior, declared the coup “foiled” within hours. Loyalist troops poured into Cotonou, quickly restoring “order” as gunfire echoed in city streets. The authorities wasted no time parading troops and armored vehicles to send a message: the state was back in control.

In his grand address, President Talon portrayed himself as the nation’s guardian, boasting of the army’s “duty” and “loyalty” while branding the coup plotters as “mutants” and “adventurers.” His words left no doubt: there would be no leniency. “This treachery will not go unpunished,” Talon thundered, casting himself as the tough, uncompromising leader Benin supposedly needs.

Talon threw in obligatory condolences to “victims” of what he called a “senseless adventure,” though he offered zero details on casualties or hostages,raising eyebrows about what really happened on the ground. The president did, however, pledge to rescue anyone still held by the failed coup leaders, without providing numbers or timelines.

The local press, eager for details, reported that thirteen soldiers were rounded up in the aftermath, but the fate of alleged ringleader Lt Col Pascal Tigri remains a mystery. Officials are promising a full investigation, though specifics are, as usual, scarce.

This coup scare isn’t happening in a vacuum. West Africa’s so-called “coup belt” has seen a string of government takeovers, with Benin now added to the list of countries flirting with instability. Recent dramatic events in Guinea-Bissau only add to the sense that democracy in the region is hanging by a thread.

Enter ECOWAS, swooping in with emergency measures. The regional bloc wasted no time authorizing troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Ghana to bolster Benin’s military. ECOWAS slammed the attempted coup as “a subversion of the will of the people,” eager to show the world it means business,at least on paper.

Not to be outdone, Nigeria,Benin’s heavyweight neighbor,came riding to the rescue. President Bola Tinubu strutted onto the scene, touting Nigeria’s military role and claiming that Benin requested urgent help. According to Nigerian officials, their forces helped recapture the TV station and sent the plotters packing after a tense showdown.

All this comes against the backdrop of Benin’s troubled political history. Once a hotbed of coups and crises, the country had supposedly settled into stability since 1991. With President Talon,first elected in 2016,set to exit after the next election, his party’s candidate, Romuald Wadagni, is already pegged as the likely successor, ensuring the status quo continues.

Yet, not everything is rosy. The opposition’s only serious candidate, Renaud Agbodjo, was conveniently disqualified for not having enough “sponsors,” drawing accusations of electoral manipulation. Meanwhile, two Talon allies were hit with lengthy jail terms over a previous,equally murky,coup plot.

Meanwhile, lawmakers have quietly extended the presidential term from five to seven years, despite the government’s claims that democracy is alive and well. Critics see this as yet another move to keep power concentrated in the same hands, while official statements tout “constitutional order.”

As the dust settles, President Talon’s message is unambiguous: any threat to his government will be crushed, and outside forces are applauded for helping “save democracy.” The rapid military response and regional support are being paraded as proof of Benin’s resilience,even as questions linger over the deeper issues plaguing the country’s politics.