Failed Benin Coup Exposes West Africa’s Chronic Instability and Risks to U.S. Interests

In the early hours of Sunday, a group of rogue soldiers in Benin attempted to dismantle democratic order by seizing the national television station and announcing the overthrow of President Patrice Talon. Led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, these mutineers declared a suspension of all state institutions under the self-styled Committee for Refoundation. While the coup was quickly quelled by Benin’s loyal military forces backed by Nigerian air and ground support, the episode starkly highlights a disconcerting pattern of upheaval that continues to plague West Africa. Why Does This Matter to America? At first glance, a crisis thousands of miles...