“The future of Benin is built at the ballot box,” the CCCR reacts to the attempted coup

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The Cadre de Concertation des Confessions Religieuses (CCCR) condemned, on Monday, December 8, 2025, the attempted coup that shook Benin. The organization, visibly dismayed, denounces armed attacks against state symbols and expresses its sympathy to the affected families, while praying for the recovery of the wounded.

Faithful to its moral and civic mission, the CCCR reminds that no claim, frustration or ambition can legitimize a seizure of power by force. According to the religious body, the constitutional order remains the only legitimate path in a state governed by the rule of law, and it cannot be overturned by unconstitutional actions.

The CCCR also reaffirms its full support for democratic institutions: the Presidency of the Republic, the Government, the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court, the judiciary and the security forces. It praises the loyalty of the armed forces that remained republican and insists that the response to this crisis strictly respect the law and human dignity.

Call for calm, responsibility and rejection of violence

In its statement, the CCCR urges the population to remain calm, to reject any manipulation on ethnic, religious or political grounds, and to be wary of disinformation and false reports circulating on social media. It recalls that national unity and social cohesion, patiently built since the National Conference of 1990, are a precious heritage to preserve.

To political actors and opinion leaders, the message is unambiguous. The CCCR invites them to place the supreme interest of the Nation above any personal ambition, to strictly respect the Constitution, and to explicitly renounce violence in all its forms. The CCCR proposes the signing of a Charter of Peace and Good Conduct, aimed at encouraging dialogue, negotiation and democratic compromise.

The religious denominations, traditional chiefdoms and moral authorities are, for their part, invited to redouble their efforts in promoting messages of calm, forgiveness and reconciliation. The religious body encourages them to meet political actors to raise awareness about responsibility, restraint and a culture of peace, ahead of the 2026 elections.

For the CCCR, Benin’s future “is built at the ballot box and through institutions, never by arms or by force.”