ECOWAS Deploys Standby Force to Benin After Military Takeover

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed its Standby Force to the Republic of Benin in response to a sudden military takeover that has plunged the country into political uncertainty. The deployment, announced on Sunday, December 7, 2025, is aimed at protecting Benin’s constitutional order and safeguarding its territorial integrity.

The decision was made during an emergency meeting of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council at the Heads of State and Government level. The intervention is backed by Article 25(e) of the 1999 Protocol on Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Security.

According to the ECOWAS Commission, the deployment was authorized by the current Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government. Troops contributing to the mission will come from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana, and will operate closely with the Government and Republican Army of Benin.

ECOWAS noted that the deployment takes immediate effect, though it did not disclose the size of the force or details regarding operational timelines. The regional bloc reiterated its commitment to defending democratic governance across West Africa and promised to release additional updates as events unfold.

The intervention follows a dramatic announcement earlier in the day, when a group of soldiers appeared on national television declaring that they had suspended the constitution, shut down land borders and airspace, and removed President Patrice Talon from office.

The soldiers named Lieutenant-Colonel Tigri Pascal as the head of a newly established military transition council. They said the takeover was driven by widespread dissatisfaction with President Talon’s leadership.

As tensions rise and regional stakeholders respond, ECOWAS’s swift deployment signals a strong stance against unconstitutional power seizures in West Africa.