Benin's interior minister has appeared on national TV to announce that an attempted coup in the West African nation has been thwarted.

Earlier, a group of soldiers, led by Lt-Col Pascal Tigri, had made a broadcast saying they had ousted President Patrice Talon and suspended the constitution.

In social media posts, the French embassy in Benin said gunfire had been reported near the residence of the president in the main city of Cotonou, which is the seat of government. Eyewitnesses told the BBC that they had heard gunshots and some journalists working for the state broadcaster were held hostage.

A presidential adviser has since told the BBC that the president is safe and is at the French embassy.

"Early on Sunday morning, 7 December 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny aimed at destabilising the state and its institutions," Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said

"Faced with this situation, the Beninese armed forces and their leadership, true to their oath, remained committed to the republic. Their response allowed them to retain control of the situation and foil the attempt," he said.

"The government, therefore, urges the population to go about their activities as normal."

Helicopters have been seen flying over Cotonou, and roads are blocked with a heavy military presence on several streets in the city.

Benin, a former French colony, has been regarded as one of Africa's more stable democracies.

It is one of the continent's largest cotton producers, but it ranks among the world's poorest countries.