The fragile peace of West Africa fractured briefly on Sunday as mutinous soldiers seized Benin’s national airwaves, only to be silenced hours later by loyalist troops and a decisive, high-stakes intervention from Nigerian fighter jets.

For a continent weary of military takeovers, the swift suppression of the mutiny in Cotonou offers a rare victory for constitutional order, though the direct involvement of Nigeria’s air force marks a significant escalation in regional security dynamics. President Patrice Talon, appearing calm but stern during a live evening broadcast, assured the nation that the insurrection was over.

“I would like to commend the sense of duty demonstrated by our army and its leaders, who have remained… loyal to the nation,” Talon said, declaring the situation “totally under control.”

Intervention from the Skies

While the President praised his own forces, evidence suggests the tide was turned by a powerful neighbor. Flight-tracking data analyzed by security monitors indicated that three aircraft breached Benin’s airspace from Nigeria earlier in the afternoon. Shortly after, Cotonou—the country’s economic hub—shook from heavy explosions believed to be targeted airstrikes.

A spokesman for the Nigerian presidency later confirmed the cross-border operation, stating that fighter jets were deployed to “take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the national TV and a military camp where they had regrouped.”

This level of direct military assistance highlights a shift in how the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) may be handling dissent, moving from diplomatic sanctions to kinetic support.

A Region on Edge

The attempted putsch in Benin is not an isolated incident but the latest tremor in a region dubbed the “coup belt.” Security analysts in Nairobi warn that the contagion of unconstitutional changes of government poses a direct threat to continental trade and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

• The Trigger: Mutinous soldiers stormed the national broadcaster earlier Sunday, announcing a takeover.
• The Response: Loyalist ground troops engaged the mutineers while Nigerian air support neutralized their stronghold.
• The Context: West Africa has seen successful coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in recent years, destabilizing the Sahel.

For Kenyans watching from the East, the events in Cotonou serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of democratic institutions. While the immediate threat in Benin has been neutralized, the reliance on foreign air power to keep a sitting president in office may spark intense debate regarding sovereignty and the future of African peacekeeping.