The Communist Party of Benin (PCB) issued a sharp condemnation on Monday, denouncing what it described as a “Franco-Nigerian intervention” following a reported thwarted coup d’état against President Patrice Talon’s government on December 7, 2025.
While reiterating its opposition to military rule, the PCB argued that the attempted putsch was a predictable outcome of the current administration’s policies.
”The December 7 coup attempt is the logical consequence of the disastrous management of the ‘Rupture’ government, characterised by predation, fascist dictatorship, exclusion, and repeated institutional coups d’état since 2016,” the party’s statement declared.
The PCB claimed the coup was neutralized with support from French forces stationed in Benin and air strikes conducted by Nigerian fighter jets reportedly deployed from Lagos, an assertion that could not be independently verified. The party also alleged that Nigerian ground forces entered the country via the Sèmè border for reinforcement.
The party criticized the foreign military involvement as a grave threat to the nation’s independence, stating, “This event is extremely serious. It is an insult and humiliation to the political and military institutions of our country.” They concluded that the intervention represented a “pure and simple transformation of Benin into a French colony.”
The PCB maintained that Benin’s internal issues must be resolved without external interference and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the involved military assets.
“The PCB condemns this Franco-Nigerian intervention in our country and demands the immediate departure of the foreign forces of aggression,” the statement concluded. The party warned that similar events are “foreseeable” as long as the current governance structure, which it criticizes for restricting political participation, remains in place.
