Benin government says short-lived coup left casualties on both sides

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The short-lived coup in Benin left “casualties on both sides” of the government forces and the mutinous soldiers, authorities said Monday, as security forces intensified the search for the coup leader who was on the run.

The military takeover attempting to overthrow President Patrice Talon, which lasted a few hours before authorities announced it had been foiled, was the latest in a series of recent coups across Africa — most following a similar pattern of disputed elections, constitutional upheaval, security crises and youth discontent.

In a statement detailing Sunday's events, Government Secretary Edouard Ouin-Ouro said the mutinous soldiers attacked Talon around 5 a.m. before being “overwhelmed by the fierce resistance of the loyal soldiers.”

The government confirmed the involvement of Nigerian and Ivorian troops in helping to thwart the coup, saying the Nigerian military had “(used) its military aircraft, which immobilized some of the armored vehicles.”

Authorities said although several arrests have been made over the coup, its apparent leader remained on the run and was being hunted. Two senior military officers held hostage by those carrying out the coup had also been released, officials said. Authorities did not specify the number of casualties.

An ongoing investigation into the coup will “identify all the perpetrators and their sponsors whoever they may be” and will assess the damage in the aftermath, Ouin-Ouro said in the statement issued after a high-level cabinet meeting chaired by the Benin leader.

A group of soldiers calling themselves the Committee for Refoundation stormed the national television station on Sunday morning to announce the coup.

Led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, eight soldiers appeared in a broadcast announcing the removal of Talon, the dissolution of the government and the suspension of state institutions.

Before the coup, Tigri was a member of Talon's protection detail. As an artillery officer, he commanded a National Guard battalion between 2023 and 2025.

By Sunday afternoon, the coup was foiled by Benin's military, supported by Nigerian air and ground forces, which launched attacks against fleeing coup participants.

Calm on Monday returned to Cotonou, Benin’s administrative center, with soldiers on the streets.

Talon described the coup late Sunday as a “senseless adventure,” and said the situation was under control. He vowed to punish mutineers and ensure the safety of hostages, including some believed to be senior military officers. He didn't disclose their identities, and it wasn't clear how many were held.

The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, said Sunday that it had deployed a standby force to Benin to help preserve democracy. The troops included personnel from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone. The size of the force was unclear.

A Nigerian government spokesperson said in a statement that Talon had requested Nigeria’s help. It wasn't clear how many personnel or how much equipment had been deployed.

Nigeria and the ECOWAS regional bloc hadn't intervened in a member state since 2017, when it sent troops to Gambia to force then-President Yahya Jammeh to vacate power following his election loss.

The bloc, led by Nigeria, tried to intervene in Niger after the country's 2023 coup. At that time, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu led the bloc. His threat to intervene if the junta didn't restore the ousted democratic government resulted in a standoff between the bloc and three junta-led countries, and they later left the bloc.

Analysts say Nigeria has a strategic interest in defending its borders — which it shares with Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon — especially now, while it experiences a severe security crisis.

“The coup in Benin is one too many. Nigeria cannot afford to be encircled by hostile governments,” Oluwole Ojewale, a senior security researcher at Dakar-based Institute for Security Studies, told The Associated Press.

As West Africa battles a surge in coups, analysts say ECOWAS lacks consistency in its response. In Gabon and Guinea-Bissau, the bloc was less assertive, and it has watched some other leaders stay in office via constitutional changes.

“You can make the argument that Tinubu needed to show some strength in preserving democracy, but this now speaks to ECOWAS' double standard," said Cheta Nwanze, a partner at the Lagos-based SBM Intelligence geopolitical consultancy firm.

Despite a history of coups following its independence from France in 1960, Benin has enjoyed relative calm in the past two decades. The country is set to elect a new president in April, because Talon is set to leave office after a decade in power.

AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Soldiers ride in a military vehicle along a street amid an attempted coup in Cotonou Benin, Sunday Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo)

Soldiers ride in a military vehicle along a street amid an attempted coup in Cotonou Benin, Sunday Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)

People on motorcycles pass by soldiers guarding a street amid an attempted coup in Cotonou Benin, Sunday Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)

People gather near a roadway amid an attempted coup in Cotonou, Benin, Sunday Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)

FILE - Benin's President Patrice Talon attends a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Target reported another quarter of declining sales and profits as the retailer struggles to regain its footing with its customers contending with higher prices almost everywhere.

But the Minneapolis company on Tuesday offered a solid annual profit outlook that was better than Wall Street had been projecting, It also said it believes net sales will grow every quarter this year.

Target also said comparable-store sales rose to start the current quarter.

Shares jumped more than 4% before the opening bell.

The company earned $2.30 per share, or $1.05 billion, for the three-month period ended Jan. 31. That compares with $2.41 per share, or $1.10 billion, during the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings per share for the most recent quarter was $2.44.

Sales fell 1.5% to $30.45 billion during the latest period. For the full year, sales fell nearly 2% to $104.78 billion.

Analysts were expecting $2.16 per share on sales of $30.46 billion, according to a survey by FactSet.

Comparable sales — sales at established stores and online channels — fell 2.5%, followed by a 2.7% dip in the fiscal third quarter. The latest figure marks 11 quarters out of the past 13 that Target has posted either declines or flattish growth for this measure.

Target’s performance underscores the challenges faced by new CEO Michael Fiddelke, a 20-year company veteran, who succeeded longtime CEO Brian Cornell last month.

Fiddelke is expected to reveal details about his plans to turn around Target on Tuesday during the company’s annual meeting in Minneapolis. Investors are hungry for a return to Target’s former dominance in affordable chic for which it earned it the nickname “Tarzhay” in years past.

Fiddelke takes over with Target’s hometown of Minneapolis a front line of sorts in President Donald Trump’s campaign to curb illegal immigration. Some of the company’s stores have become a flashpoint in a pushback against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The company has faced pressure to take a public stand against the immigration crackdown.

Even before the immigration clashes, Target had been facing protests and boycotts over the company’s decision to roll back its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Critics believe it's a betrayal of Target’s retail giant’s philanthropic commitment to fighting racial disparities and promoting progressive values in liberal Minneapolis and beyond.

That is outside of a volatile economic and political environment that has been intensified by an aggressive trade campaign under Trump. The White House is now seeking a global tariff of 15%, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many of the far-reaching taxes on imports that he had imposed over the last year.

While the pace of inflation has cooled, consumer prices have soared about 25% over the past five years. U.S. companies are facing a hazy outlook with American households hurting, and the Trump administration is trying to work around the Supreme Court ruling to keep his duties in place.

And Target customers have soured on what they see as untended and messy stores with lackluster merchandise.

As the company’s nearly 2,000 store locations have become shipping hubs for online operations, customers say the shopping experience within stores has suffered with staff fulfilling digital orders rather than tending to store aisles.

Target is also facing stiffer competition from Walmart, which has stepped up its focus on fashion and other goods. As many Americans trade down because of inflation, Walmart has gained market share, particularly among households with annual income above $100,000.

Joe Feldman, a senior managing director and the assistant director of research at Telsey Advisory Group, believes that shopper boycotts over its pullback from DEI and its lack of a forceful stand against ICE cut into sales. But he said overall, Fiddelke seems to be willing to make changes to improve its operations.

Fiddelke has already reshuffled the leadership team at Target, boosted spending on in-store store staffing and made cuts at distribution facilities and regional offices, according to a memo sent to employees in February.

The company is also reworking its store label brands such as its home goods brand called Threshold and announced a merchandise collaboration with Roller Rabbit, a brand known for its 1960s-inspired silhouettes and colorful playful prints. The collection of clothing, pajamas and accessories is expected to make its debut at Target this month for a limited time.

Tuesday’s report offered some hopeful signs for the business. Target said that sales and customer traffic accelerated in the final two months of the quarter. And it saw sales growth in food and beverage, beauty and toys for the latest quarter.

Target said that it expects net sales for the year to increase by 2%, which would mean it expects sales to reach $106.88 billion. That’s a bit above analysts’ expectations of $106.7 billion. Target also anticipates earnings per share to be in the range of $7.50 to $8.50. Analysts are expecting $7.30 per share for the year, according to analysts polled by FactSet.

Products sit on display at a Target store, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Edina, Minn. (AP Photo/Anne D'Innocenzio)

Products sit on display at a Target store, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Edina, Minn. (AP Photo/Anne D'Innocenzio)

FILE - The Target logo displayed on a sign outside a store, Nov. 18, 2025, in Salem, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Products sit on display at a Target store, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Edina, Minn. (AP Photo/Anne D'Innocenzio)