General Bertin Bada officially retires after 43 years of service in Bénin

A solemn ceremony took place on Tuesday, 30 June 2026, at the Air Base of Cotonou to mark the event. Military honours, a salute to the flag, and a troop review punctuated the farewell of the highest-ranking officer in the army.

The ceremony was held in the presence of the Chief of the General Staff of the Beninese Armed Forces, General Fructueux Gbaguidi, and the Minister Delegate for National Defence, Gildas Agonkan. All paid tribute to a career defined by rigour and dedication.

Elevated to the rank of five-star general on 9 February 2026, Bertin Bada was subsequently appointed Defence and Security Advisor to President Romuald Wadagni. He also served as Director of the Military Cabinet under former President Patrice Talon.

Aged 63, General Bada leaves the military institution after a dense career, also marked by a personal ordeal during the attempted coup d’état of 7 December 2025, in which he lost his wife.