A court in Benin Republic has sentenced about 30 people, most of them soldiers, to prison over their involvement in a foiled coup attempt against the government, according to judicial sources and state media reports.
The verdicts were delivered after months of closed-door military tribunal proceedings that followed an alleged coup plot uncovered earlier in 2025. The accused were charged with conspiracy to overthrow the government and breach of state security.
According to reports, several senior officers received long prison terms, while others were handed shorter sentences or acquitted for lack of evidence. Details of the case remain largely under wraps, but sources close to the proceedings said the plotters had planned to seize key military and government installations in the capital, Porto-Novo.
Benin’s government has not released official comment on the convictions. However, President Patrice Talon’s administration has repeatedly pledged to defend the country’s democratic institutions against “any attempt to destabilize the state.”
The alleged coup attempt is the latest in a troubling wave of political and military unrest that has swept parts of West Africa in recent years, with neighboring countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali all experiencing military takeovers.
Analysts say Benin, once regarded as a stable democracy in the region, has tightened internal security and increased surveillance since the incident to prevent further threats to national stability.
