Foiled coup attempt in Benin: arrest of Sounon Boké Soumaïla, MP from the Les Démocrates party

Ten days after the coup attempt announced and foiled on Sunday, 7 December 2025, the Republican Police arrested MP Sounon Boké Soumaïla. According to security sources, he was taken into custody on Tuesday, although no official statement has yet specified the charges against him.

The events date back to 7 December, when mutineers appeared on national television to announce the removal of President Patrice Talon. The Beninese army quickly regained control of the situation the same day, with support from Nigeria and France to end the attempted overthrow of the government.

The military operation had human costs. Several deaths were recorded, while some mutineers, including their alleged leader, Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, remain on the run to this day. Defence and security forces are actively continuing their searches.

A justice system mobilized against the threat

On the judicial side of the case, around thirty people were presented on Monday to the special prosecutor of the Court for the Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism (CRIET) in Cotonou. After their hearings, they were remanded in custody on Tuesday. The accused face serious charges, notably “treason,” “murder,” and “undermining state security.”

At the same time, Chabi Yayi, son of former President Thomas Boni Yayi and a member of the opposition party Les Démocrates, was released on Monday after being questioned by the judicial police. He had been arrested on Sunday at 2 a.m.

Although free to move about, he remains under investigation in connection with this attempted coup, on grounds that have not been made public. He is expected to appear again before the CRIET on 18 December.