Benin’s government says it has foiled an attempted military coup after a group of soldiers briefly seized the state television and announced they had removed President Patrice Talon from power.

Alassane Seidou, Interior Minister confirmed on Sunday that the armed forces moved swiftly to halt what he described as a mutiny aimed at destabilising state institutions.

The announcement came hours after soldiers appeared on national television declaring the dissolution of political parties and the closure of borders.

Their broadcast triggered confusion across the country and raised fears of yet another military takeover in West Africa, a region already grappling with a wave of coups in recent years.

Oluwole Ojewale, security analyst of the Institute of Security Studies Africa told Al Jazeera that the situation had quickly shifted from a physical confrontation to a fierce battle for control of information.

He warned that both the government and coup backers were now attempting to shape public perception through competing narratives.

According to him, the political climate in Benin has been tense, with the opposition accusing Talon of tightening his grip on power, restricting political freedoms, and jailing key critics.

In such conditions, he said, disgruntled political actors may see the military as a pathway to power when democratic routes appear blocked.

Ojewale noted that Pascal Tigri, believed to be at the centre of the mutiny, could be acting on behalf of wider political interests seeking to leverage military influence to capture the state.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted military and security sources as saying that about a dozen soldiers have been arrested following the foiled coup.

One source reported 13 arrests, while another said all but one of the detained individuals were serving soldiers, with a single ex-military officer also in custody.

In a statement, authorities said the mutiny began early Sunday when “a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilising the state and its institutions.”

They added that the armed forces, loyal to their constitutional oath, responded decisively to contain the situation.

The government has urged citizens to remain calm and continue their daily activities.

Benin, a West African country stretching from the Gulf of Guinea to the Niger River, is bordered by Nigeria to the east, Togo to the west, and Burkina Faso to the northwest.

With a population of about 14 million, the nation’s official capital is Porto-Novo, though Cotonou serves as its administrative and economic hub.

A former French colony until 1960, Benin is linguistically and culturally diverse, with French as the official language alongside local languages such as Fon, Gen, Bariba, Yoruba, and Dendi.

Its population is religiously varied, comprising Christians, Muslims, and followers of traditional beliefs including Vodun.