Benin Coup Attempt to Oust Talon Has Been Foiled, Interior Minister Says NYT | Top Stories Amelia Nierenberg, Saikou Jammeh and Ephrat Livni 8 December 2025 at 04:30 A spokesman said 14 members of the military had been arrested. The West African country’s president, who was not seen for hours, appeared on television Sunday night and said the coup plot would “not go unpunished.” © Charles Placide Tossou/ReutersSoldiers patrolled in front of Benin’s radio and television offices in Cotonou on Sunday after an apparent coup attempt.